


Bootstrap Paradox

by Auntaggie



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, ColdFlash endgame, F/M, Fix-It, Hoping for a happy ending though, Lots of Angst, M/M, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey, possible emotional manipulation, unhealthy relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-06-15 05:58:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15406530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auntaggie/pseuds/Auntaggie
Summary: Sara Lance went back in time to help Leonard Snart save himself from death, but her actions have unintended consequences. (Shocking, I know) Now Barry Allen has to come to terms with the fact he might have been manipulated while they both wait for Leonard Snart's return to Central City.Or,Which came first? Their relationship or the meddling Time Traveler??





	1. Echoes of Time

Rip called them echoes. 

Visions of aborted timelines, realities that never were. Another side effect of travelling through time. Sara would have preferred temporary blindness, rather than images of lives she’s never lived keeping her up at night.

Their existence outside the linear stream of time was opening their minds, subconsciously or unconsciously, to events that never could be. All the Legends had experienced them in their time on the Waverider but it wasn’t something they talked about. 

Mick Rory didn’t speak. He’d torn his quarters apart and was punching a wall when Rip ordered Gideon to find a historical fire. Preferably one without any casualties. Mick had stormed through the ship and was lowering the hanger door before they’d finished landing. 

Sara had watched him walk out into an abandoned industrial estate, and then he’d just stopped, looking around himself, lost. There was no fire. They had the correct location, correct date and arrived at the time of night when investigators suspected the fire would have already been raging. Sara was standing close enough to Rip to hear him mutter something about a boot. He sighed and walked towards Mick. She didn’t hear what her Captain said to the pyromaniac but the look of glee in Rory’s face, as he set fire to those dilapidated buildings had chilled her. 

Rip had quickly returned to the ship, but Sara and Leonard had stayed by the entrance to watch their fellow legend and listen out for sirens over the flames. Every one of them had different ways of regaining their composure, keeping their heads on straight. Sara Lance liked to drink her troubles away. She should know better with her family’s history, but it wasn’t often she was left shook and scared. She shouldn’t feel the need to justify her less than stellar life choices. After the League, everything was a sea of grey. 

But tonight, she’s not the only Legend who can’t sleep. He looks bored as he watches her walk into the galley. 

She had known he was awake when she’d found the liquor cabinet in Rip’s office left slightly ajar. After all the effort, it had taken her to get past his new security measures, Sara felt the thief owed her a drink. 

Leonard Snart has found himself the darkest corner in the room and he sits with one leg perched on the chair beside him. She imagines he’d been starring into the glass he holds carelessly, before she interrupted him. The tumbler looks to have a good measure of liquid and the bottle is still mostly full. 

“Mind if I join?” She eyes the bottle of whiskey on the table in front of him. This he’d understand. 

He pushes the bottle across the table but making no other move. She’d complain about the lack of a glass, the lack of hospitality if this was Laurel, or even Oliver. Make jokes to fill the silence. She doesn’t have to do that here. She doesn’t have to be civilised at all. 

The League had cured her of petty concerns. But with her family, her old family in Starling City, she had still pretended. It made them feel more comfortable around her, and it had been easy to slip on that old mask. The girl she had been could have easily sought out someone to confide her nightmares in, but now she hid behind the excuse of raiding Rip’s liquor cabinet. Again. 

She picks up the bottle, drinking slowly from the neck as she takes the empty seat across from him. She never had to pretend in this place. 

“Can’t sleep?” he asks. 

“Echo,” she explains raising the bottle again. His eyes drift away from her. No one really wants to know what other members of the team see in their visions. This isn’t Sara’s first. She knows Leonard won’t ask her what she saw. So, she tells him. 

“You were there.” She intentionally let’s a teasing tone enter her voice. She raises her eyebrows, leans forward, and continues in a whisper, “I kissed you.”

That makes him huff out a laugh, loud and honest, as he turns to face her. Sara is satisfied, proud of herself almost. He doesn’t do that much. 

“And, how did that work out?” he says, still smiling and so supremely confident. 

“Middle of a gunfight, the world burning around us. It was - interesting,” she admits. 

“I didn’t think I was your type.”

Sara cocks her head in silent acknowledgement, taking a carful interest in the label of Rip’s whiskey as she speaks. “I prefer women. But men.. some men I like well enough.”

She raises her eyes to see his reaction and she isn’t disappointed. He’s still smiling but it’s tight around the eyes now. Calculating, wondering what her angle could be in all this. Truth is, she doesn’t have an angle. She has an overwhelming sense of dread and a curiosity. 

Some echoes seem so far from their own reality that they’re easy to put aside. After the initial shock. But tonight, her vision had seemed so real, so like them. He had seemed so like himself. Black leather jacket and goggles hanging from his neck. Sara was the White Canary, gunfire and shouting filled her ears as she’d grabbed him. It had seemed so like them. 

Leonard’s voice pulls her back to the present, “Ms. Lance, are you saying you like me …enough?”

The surnames were out. Leonard already distancing himself from any emotions that might be associated with this turn in the conversation. Sara laughs, shaking her head at him, stopping when she realises how that might look. 

She says it the only way he’d accept. “I don’t dislike you, Snart.”

“How generous.” He’s getting snarky. They really must stop flirting like this. 

“But what about you?” she asks. 

He’s eyeing her slyly again over the rim of his glass, but he places it back on the table without taking a drink. Sara has to elaborate. “You never struck me as the straightest arrow.” 

He smiles again at that. Maybe he’d drunk, but Sara hasn’t seen him take a sip since she sat down

He’s licking his lips and thinking carefully before he speaks. Sara knows that if she kisses him now across the table he’ll taste of stolen whiskey. She wonders what he tasted like in that other timeline. What would it be like to kiss him desperately in the middle of a fight. Her echo of their kiss had been desperate and rushed, but chaste. 

“The people I am attracted to...” Leonard starts. Oh yes, he has chosen his words so carefully. Maybe he’s afraid to cause offense. Maybe all his flirting has just been part of his own mask, and there is no genuine interest there. Maybe it’s for the best. This is the proof she needs to put aside the cold fear that’s gripped her. 

“They have to be smart and strong,” he continues. “I have no time for people who are stupid or disloyal. I need to trust the person I’m with, entirely” He sips his drink. He’s just tasting it now to buy for time. 

“I haven’t had a lot of … long term attachments in my life as a result. But I am attracted to men and women, equally.” 

She nods at this. Not surprised. Not judging. Not trying to appear too interested. Ignoring the fear. It still wasn’t real. 

“I’ve had my fill of long term relationships too, for now anyway. I reserve the right to change my mind. But, I think I need something with a lot less drama.” 

“I’d imagine there’s a lot of drama to be found shacking up with a team member, if one was so inclined.” He’s considering his glass again, avoiding her eyes. 

She should make a joke, bring them back to more familiar territory. But she doesn’t. 

“Maybe, but it’d still be better than that time I shacked up with my sister’s boyfriend”, she points out. 

“Our Captain probably has a rule against fraternisation,” he counters. 

“You afraid of breaking the rules Leonard?” That draws his eyes back to her. He can’t ignore a challenge, but he still seems uncertain. His eyes are searching, for what she’s not sure, as the silence stretches between them.

“You’re serious?” he asks slowly. 

She’s actually surprised to realise that, yes, she is. “You offered.” 

“Doesn’t mean I thought it would happen. Some men just like to flirt.” 

“Some women call that teasing.”

He’s considering her again. “I like to flirt, but when people flirt back I sometimes begin to …wonder, what’s wrong with them?”

She shakes her head at the absurdity of that and yet, it makes sense. 

Leonard feels the need to explain his words. “I’m a criminal,” he’s almost snapping now. “That doesn’t exactly attract the most – appropriate partners.”

“No, you’re a gentleman.” He rolls his eyes at her words. “…Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

“About the sex, or my impeccable manners?” he asks, smirking at her.

“Both,” she replies honestly. 

This hadn’t been her plan for the night. She hadn’t expected to find him here and then, she hadn’t planned anything further than teasing him with her vision. She could blame the pleasant warmth of the whiskey dulling her better judgement, but she wants to touch him. 

“Okay.” She isn’t surprised by his agreement. “But I don’t think we should be too obvious.”

“They already suspect.” 

He rolls his eyes, seemingly completely unconcerned. “Mick’s already convinced. Doesn’t mean we need to prove them right.”

“My quarters?”

He slams back his drink and grabs the bottle on their way out. Maybe she’s not the only one who wants some Dutch courage. They walk in silence, no need for idle conversation and she hasn’t even touched him, when the door to her quarters closes behind them. 

Leonard walks ahead of her taking in his surroundings. Her compulsively tidy room, her knife collection displayed over the desk, bed sheets rucked back from when she’d woken. 

He places the bottle on her desk and looks back at her. There are never any words to make a situation like this less awkward, so she doesn’t try. He doesn’t either.

As Sara steps up to him, he doesn’t move to touch her, he doesn’t move at all. She twists a corner of his jumper around her fingers and pulls him towards her, running her hand up his back. He’s smirking now but he still doesn’t move, so she closes the distance between them. Their first kiss is chaste, but without any of the desperation from her earlier echo.

She pulls back to make sure he hasn’t changed his mind, and he’s grinning now. Leonard’s arms drag her close and there’s no more hesitation, he kisses her fiercely. 

This is what she needs. His warmth, the desperation, the thrill of the illicit. It feels so right and she just wants more. She moves back to pull her shirt over her head. He watches her as she leans down to tug off her boots. He begins to pull off his clothes too. 

She pauses in undoing her belt to watch him take off that stupid jumper. She’s never seen his arms before, his chest and now she knows why. They’re a matching pair. She wears most of her scars on her back; the only exception been the arrow wound between her breasts. Looks like most of his scars are on his chest and arms. Not as broad as her own but, thin red lines that speak of knife wounds and jagged cuts stitched at home, or not at all, because hospital staff always ask too many questions.

Her jeans hang open as she steps back into his space, mouth opening to lick what could be a bullet wound below his shoulder. He’s tense but relaxes as she kisses up his throat, and his voice is breathy when he points out, “You’re still wearing too much clothes.” Sara huffs.

She’s dragged off her jeans and unclipped her bra while he’s still working on his boots. “Need some help?” 

He almost falls out of his trousers as he looks up at her and isn’t that just the best compliment in the world.

“No, no. Think I’ve got it.” She laughs, watching him continue to struggle before finally freely himself and standing before her in only his boxers, already half hard. “Glad to see that I’m entertaining you, but this really wasn’t what I had in mind.”

“Me neither.” She pulls him close, kissing him again as she pulls him down onto her bed. He’s gentler than she imagined. Careful to hold himself above her, moving between her legs. It’s comforting. His hands on her body, his teeth and lips at her neck, kissing and nibbling his way down her chest. She doesn’t need to warn him about leaving marks that the others might see. It’s the antidote she needed to the anxiety that’d drove her from her bed in the middle of the night. 

In early hours of the morning, he gets up to leave. Dressing without a word. It’s comfortable and she doesn’t mind his silence. They can be friends still. Team mates. But Sara can’t help the fear that grips her as she watches him prepare to leave. 

“Hey Leonard.” He turns sharply. Maybe he didn’t realise she was awake. Maybe he didn’t expect her to say anything. They hadn’t discussed what would happen next, if this was a once off or something more – regular. 

“You know that echo I mentioned?" she asks.

He smirks. “You and me kissing in the middle of a gun fight? Hard to forget.” 

“There was something else.” She stares at the ceiling. She struggles to get the words out, her mouth suddenly too dry. “It was- sad. Like we were saying, goodbye...”

“I’m not going anywhere Lance.” He appears suddenly in her vision to drop a quick kiss on her lips. It’s gentle and sweet. He’s smiling, unworried and happy as he walks out the door of her quarters. 

[…]

Sara had been waiting for Mick to finish, to wipe Leonard’s memory and walk away. She passes him in the hallway of the warehouse, heading for the loading bay. They don’t speak. He barely looks at her. The Legends had agreed that this was the best course of action. Well the action least likely to destroy the timeline at least. 

They hadn’t all agreed. Rip and Stein didn’t even know they were trying this. 

After their final confrontation with the Legion of Doom, the guilt had become too much. Leonard’s biting remarks, usually aimed at others were filled with venom and aimed squarely at the people who cared most about him. The people who missed him. Sara knew that Mick was broken up about what had happened, in his own way. He’d only betrayed them for a chance to get his old life back, but the knowledge of the future had changed Snart. He wasn’t the Captain Cold Mick remembered. 

He wasn’t the man Sara remembered. She wonders what Thawne told him. Did he twist the truth into cruel lies or was the truth bad enough?

She walks up behind Snart – he’s not Leonard yet, not her Leonard anyway – as he looks out the open warehouse door. He’s looking at Central City. Sara knows it’s more than just the city he grew up in, the city where he lived. 

“You know, you’re going to rule that City something.” She sounds calm. 

The gun he points at her is - just a gun. It’ll fire a bullet as quickly as ice out of the cold gun, and it’s just as likely to kill her, but Sara isn’t worried. She stands calmly before him unarmed and prepared for his worst. He isn’t even Captain Cold yet. 

“Who are you? And – what are you wearing?”

The White Canary suit had been Ray’s idea. He thought it made her look powerful and futuristic. She’d agreed because, well she had rejected all of his other ideas. She needed to keep as many of her fellow Legends on side as possible, if her plan was to work. And she knew from experience that Leonard was a fan of her suit. She didn’t tell Ray that, but Mick eyebrows raised in a telling gesture. He knew. 

Sara ignores Leonard’s questions. “You don’t know me, but I know you. I’ve been asked to deliver a message. From a friend.”

“I don’t have any friends.”

“Only partners, I know.” He arches an eyebrow. Sara continues quickly while she has his attention. “The first thing I need to tell you is that time travel exists and I’m here from the future. In the next few years, the impossible will become real and you… you will become a legend.”

This was the most dangerous part, the moment where Leonard could dismiss her as a mad woman. She isn’t surprised when he laughs. She missed his laugh. He’d never been happy with the Legion, only angry at a betrayal he couldn’t remember. 

“It’s been a shitty day, so I suppose I should be thanking you. Haven’t heard anything that funny in years.” His arm falls back to his side, but he doesn’t put the gun away. He hasn’t entirely dismissed the threat she poses. Smart.

“It’s the truth,” Sara continues, taking a careful step forward. “You’re going to rule that city one day. Everyone will know your name”

“Not for anything good I bet.”

Sara snorted at that, but didn’t lose sight of his face, his shoulders, watching for any sign that he might be about to raise his gun arm. Trying to look unconcerned. Another step. “No chance of that. I can’t tell you much about your future. But, you make an impression.”

“Must be some impression.” He’s studying her just as closely. She knows it’s not a challenge, just his curiosity. “I assume you have proof?”

“Of course.” 

This had been the hardest part of the plan to agree on. Mick had scoffed at every one of their ideas. Ray had suggested showing Leonard advanced technology and had offered to fly by in his ATOM suit. He thought he had the best chance of convincing Leonard if he got to speak to him alone. Mick laughed so hard he had to wipe away a tear. But the idea of giving Leonard Snart, master thief, even the briefest glimpse of future technology made Sara shudder. The man didn’t have much more than a high school education, but he’d once reverse engineered the cold gun, with equipment stolen from Ray’s own lab. 

Sara had suggested a newspaper from the future. Jax offered to create a compilation of recent news videos. Nothing too important, nothing related to any of Leonard’s future crimes, nothing that could be used to change the future. Mick had been clear. “ _He won’t care about any of that – not if it doesn’t matter. Too easy to fake as well._ ” 

Eventually after discounting all their suggestions, Mick had stood and walked out of the room. No explanation. Ray had been in the middle of suggesting they tell Leonard about future sporting events. Sara groaned. He’d just roll over a bookie he didn’t like. Mick’s departure had felt like a dismissal of their plan in its entirety. And it was theirs. Hers and Micks. Ray and Jax just wanted to support the team. They’d never approved of Leonards’ methods, but they couldn’t let it stand. They’d left a team mate behind and he’s been turned against them. Again. 

Mick had walked back into the conversation, with no consideration for anything the others had to say and placed the photograph in front of Sara. “ _This will do it. And I want it back._ ” Leonard watches her as she pulls the photo from under her bodice, a suggestive smirk on his face. Mick had been very clear. “ _No, you can’t put it in your back pocket. Goddamit Sara, he’ll shoot you soon as kiss you in this time._ ” 

Now he plucked it from her fingers with his left hand. His right still occupied with his gun, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. 

The picture had been taken the Christmas before he’d joined the Legends. The worn Welcome Home banner in the background, hung haphazardly on the wall of a dingy bar. Mick told her how someone had taken it upon themselves to scrawl underneath those words, _’From prison. Again.’_ in permanent marker. No one at the bar had invested in a new banner. It made sense, as most of their welcome home parties were for drinking buddies who’d recently gotten out of Iron Heights. 

Leonard couldn’t see the graffiti. It wasn’t even the banner that caught his attention. That was a tradition in the world he’d come from. The world he belongs to, now, in this time. A tradition he was very aware of, but he’d never been the guest of honour before. He hadn’t been caught – yet.

He stares closely at an image of himself and his sister, Lisa, smiling with glasses in hand. He had an arm slung carelessly around her shoulders, holding her close. Mick had taken the picture at Lisa’s insistence. Jax had doubted that it would work, but Mick shook his head. “Kid, Cold’s spent his whole life avoiding cameras. That might be the only picture in existence of that bastard smiling.”

It certainly seemed to do the trick. Leonard was silent, staring at that photograph like it was his whole world. In this time, maybe it was. 

When he looks at her again, he’s made up his mind. “What’s the message?” 

She sighs. Stupid. The look of relief obvious to the man currently glaring at her. 

“There is a man. He’s brave, smart and selfish – you’d like him actually. And he’s important to the future. He will save us all if given the chance and I know, he’s going to die doing just that.”

“Now, I know you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not in the business of saving people.” Leonard immediately saw where the conversation was going, and his mask is quickly back in place. Recovering his composure, but Sara saw how he clung to that picture. 

“You’ve got a long time to decide what you want to do. But you will be the only person in a position to save him.”

“What’s so important about this guy anyway?”

“He’s my friend.” 

“A partner?” He’s smirking now. Handing her back the photograph, like it isn’t important. Tucking his gun into the back of his jeans. Sara takes the picture reverently, checking it for creases so she doesn’t have to look him in the eye. 

“Always,” she replies.

“Are we talking the kind of partner who has your back in a fight or …partners?”

“Always,” she repeats, “but you’ll have to live it to find out the specifics.” 

He’s smiling at that. She wonders if she said too much, falling back into old patterns. That wipes the smile from her face.

“I need you to take this and carry it with you always.” The device Ray had built was tucked into the waistband of her suit. Out of sight, in case he mistook it for a weapon. 

“Looks like an over complicated paperweight.”

“It is. Two things. When it’s over, and you’ve found a use for that thing. You’re going to want to come back to Central City; see your sister, check in with your investments and your contacts. But first, you need to check in with your boy in red leather.” 

This had been another suggestion of Micks. Obviously flawed, it was their best option. She couldn’t send him to Starling, Palmer Tech or Team Arrow. She couldn’t mention the Flash, Barry Allen or Star Labs. Nothing that would give Leonard a person or place to direct his curiosity. And boy did he look curious. 

“I’m sorr – , who?” he stutters. God, she finally gets to ruffle him, and she can’t even enjoy it. She wants to laugh at the way his face scrunches up and his eyes blink furiously, but she can’t. Ray made the exact same face when Mick had said, “ _Just tell him to find the tight ass in red leather. He’ll figure that one out. Eventually._ ”

“Are you telling me everyone in the future goes around in skin tight leather? Because so far, I approve.” And he’s back in control – or he thinks he is – eyes roaming over her body in the Canary suit. 

“It’s – a very long story. It doesn’t make sense now, but it will. You’ll find him at his – base of operations, three months after Lisa’s thirtieth birthday.” The lump in her throat returns as she remembers that night in Central City. According to Gideon, it was the last time Leonard was in Central before his death. 

He doesn’t seem to notice, or he doesn’t care why the woman in front of him is fighting back tears. “The second thing?”

She takes a deep breath before she continues. 

“You’ll see me again and I won’t know you, because it will be the first time we meet. You can’t tell me or anyone else about this.”

“Mmmm so we know each other, in the future?

“We meet,” she replies vaguely. “My being here right now is against the rules actually.”

“Whose rules?” he demands quickly. 

“Doesn’t matter but you’ll meet him too. If anyone finds out that we’re trying to change a future event, it’s a death sentence.” The lie slips out easily. 

She knows the Time Masters are gone, knows that Rip would never execute her for this. Technically she’s the Captain of the Legends now, and the only person left who’s responsible for policing time crimes. But Leonard Snart in this time is still a criminal. He’s more likely to keep his head down if he believes there’s a shadowy force looking to stop him. 

The look on his face now, he’s obviously more concerned with his own safety than hers. “Don’t worry, they’ll just wipe your memory of this conversation, but it’s a death sentence for me and anyone who helped me find you here.”

“You sure your friend is worth the risk?” he asks. 

“I owe him, a lot.”

He nods and holds up two fingers. “Scouts honours.” 

“You were never a scout. And I’m sorry.”

“About what?” he frowns at her.

She can’t let him follow her, and she knows he’ll try. The first strike pushes him back from her, giving her enough room to twist her body and to raise her leg, striking Leonard across the face. He falls to the ground with a definitive thump.

She looks at the picture still in her hand. It’s creased now. She’d been holding it too tightly as she’d struck him. Sara sighs. It doesn’t matter. She can fix that too. 

It physically hurts to leave him like this, but Sara has to, if she has any hope of seeing him again.


	2. The Pattern

For all his meticulously planned heists, Leonard Snart could never achieve the same efficiency in his day to day life. He had blamed everyone else of course. But tonight, standing in a cold forest with a cold gun strapped to his leg and an enemy opposite him, Len starts to see the pattern. All the chaos, and the pain had lead him here and all of this would lead to him one day becoming the most dangerous man in Central City. 

After his mysterious visitor, he had a headache and a new project. His next heist was put off for a few months. It was good to break his pattern anyway. Keep the CCPD on their toes. He wondered idly if this decision would have consequences. His visitor had hinted at that. She’d been so careful not to tell him too much. No names. No dates. He knew this future event would happen outside Central City. And, that was about it. 

He was also certain that woman knew him. The things she’d said, the way she’d ducked his questions with teasing suggestions. The way she’d used the word partners. He knew he used it as a shield. A way to acknowledge the people closest to him, without really acknowledging them at all. If he had a therapist, they’d have a lot to say about that. She knew what that word meant to him. She’d used it like a scalpel, to cut him open and look inside. 

The picture of himself and Lisa was another head scratcher. They hadn’t been on the best of terms recently. He didn’t visit enough. She wanted to know about his life and that invariably meant telling his baby sister about his heists and his crimes. She knew most of it, but he tried to keep her away from the danger and the violence of his lifestyle. Lisa was capable of making stupid decisions on her own but following in his footsteps was too dangerous. 

Of course, he’d made this decision without ever consulting her, or telling her. It was easier that way. She was in college, making a better future for herself and he was happy with that. They’d been growing more distant and he’d worried that they would never be close again. Len had always viewed that as the necessary price he had to pay, to give his baby sister some better options. He looked forward to a future where that picture was possible, but he worried about the decisions they’d make to bring them there. 

He researched time travel and found very little in the way of scientific advances. Einstein’s special relativity theory had taken him weeks to grasp and then proved entirely useless. Understanding the state of matter travelling at impossible speeds gave him no insight into the feasibility or dangers of time travel. He ended up reading too much science fiction. He set up alerts for time traveller, woman in white leather, and man in red leather. He quickly deleted those alerts in disgust. He had no success.

The device he’d been given was another dead end. It had been custom made, with no identifying marks. It consisted of a narrow square box, that fit easily in his hand with an extendable arm rising from its centre, and it didn’t look like anything you’d use to save a man’s life. Maybe it was a weapon, and his visitor expected him to use the device to bludgeon someone over the head, but that seemed unlikely. 

It was just a tool and so he set himself the task of discovering what it could be used for. He wanted to take it apart, break it down to its constituent parts to try and find a use for it. He didn’t do that. He couldn’t risk it. Not if she was telling the truth. He also knew he couldn’t take this thing to an engineer or anyone who might question his possession of the device.

During one of his fumbling experiments, while extending the arm, he’d accidentally twisted the square base and heard a definite click. Any further experiments were hindered by the arm refusing to retract. It was stuck in place. He was still glaring at the offending device twenty minutes later, convinced he’d broken the damn thing, when he heard it click again. Additional experiments revealed that when the arm was extended and twisted, it stayed in place for exactly 18 minutes and 34 seconds, a vexing specific amount of time. 

With everything his mysterious visitor knew about him, Leonard was sure it wasn’t an accident, but he couldn’t find any reason for such a specific time. He became convinced that she was laughing at him, aware of his experiments and diverting his attention to useless tasks. Like their conversation, all his investigations sent him spiralling in irrelevant circles, with no tangible answers. He never found a sane use for the device. Instead he kept it a secret, in the bottom drawer of his locked desk. 

Eventually he chose to return to his pattern. He’d missed his partially planned heist, but six months later, Leonard Snart was back on form. He’d stopped looking for the impossible and resigned himself to the fact that he had been duped. He couldn’t understand the motivation of his visitor. Maybe she’d just been a crazy woman who knew his name. It didn’t matter. Six months after Leonard Snart had failed to pull a heist, he pulled two in one week. Maintaining his pattern and making up for lost time. 

He'd thought reconnecting with Lisa would be difficult. His visitor had put the idea in his head and he wasn’t opposed to it. But he hadn’t quite figured out how to make it happen, when Lisa walked into the back office of the bar. 

“Hello sis.” He had smiled as she sprawled in the chair opposite him, a piece of paper in hand and a shit eating grin on her face. Never a good sign. 

He was already pulling a bottle and two glasses from the bottom drawer when she’d leaned over still grinning and placed the paper in front of him. Her certificate. Shit, Len’s first thought was that he’d missed her graduation. Hardly his fault that she’d never told him. 

“I see we have something to celebrate,” he’d filled the silence, pouring two glasses and holding one out to Lisa. She didn’t reach for it. She hadn’t said a word. A very bad sign. He placed the glass in front of her and leaned back. Waiting for the fireworks. 

Lisa’s temper was legendary. The boys around the neighbourhood had been terrified of her when she’d still been in elementary school. She held a grudge, and right then Len had been wracking his brain, trying to remember what he’d done, or more likely not done, to piss her off this time. 

“I want a job Lenny,” she proclaims calmly. She waited until he took a drink. Bitch. He doesn’t sputter but he does drink more than he planned. The glass empty, he pours another one. It was his turn to give her the silent treatment, mainly because he hasn’t the first clue what to say to that. 

Lisa had dabbled with petty crime and theft, but unlike Len she didn’t have a criminal record to show for it. Yet. He’d thought that her college course would be the end of that. She’d go straight, get a regular job and have a normal life. He knew it had been his dream for her. He’d encouraged her education, refused to let her drop out of school as a teenager. Before his visitor he’d envisioned them leading entirely separate lives in the future, meeting up at the holidays and barely knowing one another. He’d been willing to pay that price. 

Lisa sighed, losing patience with him already. “I’ve got a Business degree, you’ve got businesses,” she points out. 

Len remembers the relief he’d felt in that moment. It’d been all consuming, he’d smiled. Of course, Lisa had to push. 

“And hey, if you ever need a driver, I’ll be nearby.” She winked at him. Goddamn, why couldn’t anyone in this family just make an honest living. But he knows why. It’s the same reason he isn’t planning to give up this game. She’d never let him side line her, unless she wanted that. 

“How about, tonight we celebrate and tomorrow we sort out the logistics of… our businesses?”

“Maybe the day after tomorrow Lenny. We’re having a proper celebration, and you,” she pointed at him to make her point very clear. “You are taking me dancing. Mick around? I was thinking of going to Eden. They’ve got this shot that they serve on fire” Her eyes had gleamed with mischief as the grin died on his own face. Mick. He’d given her a tight no, but they finished that bottle, went dancing and he’d rolled home at 5am, drunk and happy. 

He’d almost forgotten about his encounter with the time traveller when he eventually saw the impossible. The Khandaq diamond heist had been planned to perfection, and he should have had 3 minutes before the cops had arrived at the scene. A red blur had thrown him to the ground, he had the aching bruises to prove it. A man who could move so fast he was nothing more than a streak of red lightning. But Len was sure of it. He’d seen him leaning over the injured guard. A man in a red leather suit. His boy. 

And wasn’t that an interesting thought. 

The Streak seemed more likely to stop robberies than help out, but once Len had a better understanding of the man’s capabilities and weaknesses, he’d be in a better position to make his pitch. And if he didn’t accept, well Leonard wasn’t above a bit of blackmail to give the Flash the incentive he needed.

Eventually he finds him, the Flash, a scrawny kid with a definite do gooder complex and help from Star Labs. Their chat in the woods wasn’t really a surprise. So many of the jobs he pulled these days, were barely hidden attempts to get the young man’s attention. 

The power he had, his speed, his team and even his uncompromising morality intrigued Len. He knew his rise would be linked to the Flash, but that was starting to take a back seat to the Flash himself. Len had always loved a challenge. Their chat in the woods was expected, but the way it went surprised him. A compromise. A deal. He could work with that. 

He struggles to contain his smirk. This is how he’d do it. The pattern is becoming clear to him now. Ruling Central City’s criminal underworld would be easy with a get out of jail card from the Flash and his team. 

“Hey kid, while I’ve got you all to myself. No interruptions. I have a request.” He pauses for dramatic effect. Barry looks angry. 

“Time travel,” he states calmly. 

“What? I don’t know about, about time – Have you - ? How do you know - ?” He sees the moment when the Flash realises his mistake. He snaps his mouth closed and glares at him. 

Len smirks. He’s hit bullseye. The Flash knows something. Maybe more than he did, but no point letting on about that yet. 

“Oh good. That has happened. It is difficult with time travel, isn’t it Barry? Who can we talk to about something most of the world believes to still be theoretical?”

“How do you know?” Barry’s demanding now. Trying to regain the strength he’d had in his voice a moment ago, before he began stutter and trip over his excuses. 

“Not important.” He’s gotten everything he wanted tonight by holding his tongue, drawing clear uncrossable lines. He manages to contain his smile when the young man starts talking, but his eyebrows rise tellingly. 

“It only happened once,” Barry says, unconsciously moving closer to Cold. “I can’t control – and even if I could, I wouldn’t use it to help you, or anyone. Time travel is dangerous.” Barry is angry now, angry with himself.

That makes Len smile. “I had a visitor who said the exact same thing. You know what else they said. Apparently, I’m going to be important someday.” Len leans closer, almost whispering in the boy’s ear. “Maybe you too.”

He was starting to understand that that mask hid more than the Flash’s identity. His face was so expressive. He didn’t know what to say. Opening and closing his mouth. The shock and confusion giving way to frustration.

“Your visitor – ,” the Flash begins, licking his lips. “It wasn’t me, was it?”

Len laughed out loud at that question. This Flash was going to be fun. Definitely worth the extra work ensuring his criminal capers had no casualties. Actually, he preferred it that way. Fewer complications. All thoughts of blackmailing the kid to get him in on his heists went out the window that night. He’d been thinking too small. With power like the Flash’s, ruling Central City would be the small time. Time travel was real and now Len needed some time to re-evaluate his options. 

“You’ll have to live it to be sure Scarlet. Oh, I don’t suppose you’d give me a ride back to town, would you?”

After that little conversation, Len celebrated like he’d just pulled off the biggest heist of his life. Lisa and Mick didn’t understand his excitement. They were more than a little disgusted by his unwillingness to give them the Flash’s identity. He’s tell Lisa eventually. Probably Mick too. He dragged that technologically advanced paperweight out of the bottom drawer. From that night, he kept it with him any time he wasn’t pulling a job. Couldn’t risk the thing been confiscated by CCPD. He’d finally got his first lead on time travel and now everything his guardian angel had said seemed possible. 

He was going to rule this city, with the Scarlet Speedster at his side.


	3. Chaos Theory

Barry was at work, finishing his report for the task force meeting later that day, when Cisco text to say the Legends were in town. Taking up valuable space in his Cortex. And arguing. 

He flashed into Star Labs to find Mick Rory squaring up to Martin Stein. Caitlin stood between them, arms raised. Rip Hunter has his head in his hands and most of the other occupants of the room seemed tense. Of course, everyone seems tense when you’re moving at super speed. 

Barry didn’t slow down long enough for anyone to see him and quickly put on the Flash suit before coming to a halt. 

“What happened?” he demanded. Careful to modulate his voice with his speed.

Professor Stein was the first to offer an explanation. “What’s happened is that my colleagues have taken it upon themselves to do incomprehensible damage to the timeline without any – “

“We haven’t done any damage to the timeline,” Sara said as she stepped forward, a restraining hand on Mick’s arm. “Gideon says that everything is still progressing as expected. We were careful-“ 

“Careful?” Rip repeated. “You gave dangerous foreknowledge to a man, a criminal who has tried to destroy this reality.”

Sara can’t restrain Mick this time. He shook her off, and moved towards Rip, pointing at the Captain as he shouted. “If it wasn’t for you and the Time Masters- “

Barry knew Mick had a temper and doesn’t want the Legends to start a scuffle in this middle of the cortex. He zipped forward at super speed and began to separate the two sides. He placed Mick and Sara beside the door to the medical lab, and Rip and Professor Stein against the opposite wall. Barry came to a halt beside Caitlin, in the middle of the room. When she realised what he’s done he can see the obvious relief on her face. Cisco was still behind his console, not hiding, but smart enough not to get involved. 

“Would anyone care to explain why you’re fighting about Legends business in my cortex?” Barry asked again, his voice raising this time.

“We have to wait here,” Sara spoke quietly compared to the others. 

“We’re waiting for what exactly?” Cisco asked.

“Waiting to see if it worked.”

Their story was told slowly, too slowly for Barry’s patience. Sara Lance took the lead, she seemed to be in charge. Sara and Mick, with help from Ray and Jax had planned to use time travel to save Leonard Snart’s life. Barry went rigid at her words, cold dread in the pit of his stomach as she continued to speak. The realisation of what was happening, stunned all the Star Labs team to silence, but Barry felt like he was in a waking nightmare.

Sara continued to speak calmly. She was a much calmer presence than Mick, more worldly than either Ray or Jax. It explained why they’d followed her. It also explained why she hadn’t approached either Rip Hunter or Martin Stein about her plans. She was smart, a good leader. But after Barry’s recent missteps with changing history, he was prone to agree with Rip. 

Sara’s plan to save Leonard Snart, had involved finding him in 2014 before the particle accelerator explosion and telling him enough about the future to save himself. Sara was vague on that. Barry noticed that no one offered details about Snart’s death, but now didn’t seem the time to ask. 

Sara explained to Team Flash how they had landed the Waverider at Star Labs, faking a request for help from their team. On their arrival, Captain Hunter had been very confused that Caitlin and Cisco weren’t expecting him, but not as confused as Barry’s friends were to see the time travellers. Sara had begun to explain when all hell had broken loose. They were waiting for a dead man to come back to life.

“And that is the crazy part –,” Professor Stein started gesticulating as soon as Sara had finished. “We’re expected to just sit here for heaven knows how long, just waiting for Leonard Snart to follow your instructions. That man has never followed a single instruction in his life”

“You never seen him assemble flat pack furniture,” Mick grumbled. He stepped out from behind Sara, but he wasn’t angry anymore. He stood his ground, arms crossed, glaring at Barry, Stein and everyone else in the room. “He’ll listen to what Sara said. I made sure of it.”

Sara hung her head. “I said I’d handle it Mick.”

“Are you telling me that Mick – what? He wrote the script for your conversation with Snart.” Rip was incredulous and angry. 

“Yes,” Sara said, squaring her shoulders, preparing for a fight. Barry didn’t think it would devolve into anything more than angry words, but she was a fighter and her posture showed it. “Mick knows Leonard better than any of us. I needed to convince him that I knew him. And he needed to know that the future was worth saving.”

“How exactly do you convince a thief and a murderer of that?” Caitlin asked. Barry didn’t correct her, because in 2014 that was the sum of Snart’s accomplishments. Sara didn’t answer. She glared at Caitlin. Obviously unhappy with the question. 

“Sara, what did you say to him?” the Flash pressed her, still careful to mask his voice in front of Mick. 

“I told him that he’d rule this city.” His mouth dropped. Barry knew he probably wasn’t the only person staring at Sara in shock. He tried to imagine what Leonard Snart, the master thief he’s met three years ago, might have done as a result of that lie. 

“This is stupid.” Mick liked to state the obvious. “Ship’s disabled and you can’t fix it. We’re waiting. Now I’m going to get myself a proper drink and find something flammable.”

“You can’t leave Star Labs, Mick. Not until we know,” Sara said but she was already speaking to his retreating back. 

“We don’t have any alcohol here,” Caitlin called out. That made Mick stop. 

He looked at Sara. “Well then, someone’s gonna have to make a supply run.”

“I’ll take care of it, Mick. Go back to the Waverider.” A short nod and Mick Rory strolled out of Cortex. All was right in his world. The man was more than willing to manipulate the timeline, but balked at the thought of a sober night in. 

Barry pulled back his mask and rubbed his hands over his face. He looked at the people around him. Cisco was hunched over his console. Caitlin’s shoulders drooped. Rip looked pale after the initial anger had now left him, and Stein was still shaking his head, but there was no point arguing now. Everyone knew. They’d lost. This wasn’t a fight they could win. They couldn’t even fight to change what had happened. It was done and now they had to wait. 

“Why would you do this Sara?” Barry asked. He just needed to understand. 

It made no sense. The Legends had taken it upon themselves to protect all of time and Sara was risking that for Leonard. Barry’s arrangement with the thief aside, he knew the man could be dangerous. And Sara had lost people much more important to her. Why was she taking such drastic action now? For Leonard Snart?

“He was right. His death is on us. We’re making that right.” She was speaking to Stein and Captain Hunter when she looks up. They were just going around in circles. 

“You can’t change the future Sara,” Barry said before anyone could interrupt him. “You can’t control it. I tried, more than once.”

“This is different.” She was looking at him now, so sure of herself. “Captain Hunter chose us for his team because our lives aren’t important to the timeline. If we die a few years or decades before we were supposed to, the timeline remains intact. Leonard wasn’t supposed to die there.”

“But he did, and you can’t recklessly change the past Sara. The things you told him could have unforeseen consequences.” Barry’s voice remained calm, when all he wanted to do was throw his arms in the air and shout. He’d just fixed the timeline, badly, and it was all happening again.

“I don’t care. It can’t be any worse than what we lived through. He died saving us, and then he came back, did you know that? A younger version, plucked from the timeline and told what he would do. It was horrible Barry. He hated us. He destroyed the timeline to save himself.”

Barry didn’t know any of that, until a few moments ago he didn’t know that Leonard was dead. He’d thought it was a recent event, a mission that ended in tragedy and Sara had acted rashly in the aftermath. Barry was wondering how long it has it been, for them, since Leonard’s death. Weeks, months, or longer than a year, it didn’t matter. Barry was furious that none of them ever thought to tell Team Flash that Leonard had died, sacrificed himself for the mission.

He reminded himself that of course they wouldn’t think he’d care. As far as they knew, he and Snart were enemies. He hoped someone told Lisa.

“Sara, it’s over. We defeated the Legion and,” Stein began.

“So, he can die for us again?!” she shouted. “So, it can all happen again? No.” 

“You’re letting your relationship with him affect your judgement Ms. Lance.” Captain Hunter pointed this out calmly, like he hasn’t just dropped a bomb in the middle of the room. Cisco let out a low whistle. Barry felt like his head was spinning. 

“Relationship? What do you mean?” Stein tried to ask. 

“The fact that we were sleeping together has nothing to do with this. Mick’s right, it’s too late for arguing over this. You can’t change it now.”

“Sara, wait,” Barry called after her. 

“I’m going on that supply run. I’ll be back in an hour,” Sara said over her shoulder. Then she turned the corner and was gone. 

“Barry…?” Caitlin started. He turned quick and shook his head.

“We have to wait too,” Barry spoke too fast. He knew it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. 

“But man, what if…” Cisco began.

“No.” His voice was too loud this time. “There is nothing we can do now. We – have to be careful not to discuss how things may have progressed differently, because of this.”

“Of course,” Stein said. “We are from the timeline in which Sara never spoke to Snart, whereas you are from the timeline in which she did.”

Caitlin picked up his train of thought, and Barry could see the dominos falling. “So even if Snart still dies, events in this timeline could have been changed.” 

“Do you know something Mr. Allen?” Rip asked.

“No. I’ve just learned to be cautious.” His voice was more level this time. Nobody looked at him suspiciously and he almost believed his own lie. “You shouldn’t make any contact with anyone else.  
No one leaves. No phone calls. When time resets, it won’t matter, but until then your team might know information we don’t have yet. You could cause more changes to the timeline.”

Barry felt a twinge of guilt as he put the responsibility for keeping this timeline intact on the Legends, but he pushed it down. It was their fault, he shouldn’t feel guilty at all. 

He could tell from Caitlin and Cisco’s shared look that they’re worried. They couldn’t always tell when he was lying and were probably just worried about this situation that was entirely out of their control. He knew he wasn’t lying to them. He never had. It had always been an omission. He’s in the same sinking boat as Sara and Mick, waiting to see what happens next but unlike them, he was dreading every possible outcome. There were too many variables, too many unknowns to even guess at what would happen next. 

Barry’s mind wasn’t so much concerned with the future as the past. He’d always known Leonard had knowledge he shouldn’t have. The other man had hinted and teased, but never told him the full story. Now with all the facts, Barry had to wonder how well he actually knew Captain Cold, or if his former enemy was actually a fiction, a man encouraged by a glimpse in the future.

Barry had spent weeks pining over Iris, with only a newspaper by-line to go on. He knew now that the future wasn’t fixed, it could change. He had changed it. Whatever Sara had done, they were in the new timeline. Her actions must have had consequences already and his mind was swimming in the possibility of what could have been, what should have been. Despite all their travels through time, the Legends seemed completely oblivious, even defiant. 

So much of what Sara said lined up with his own knowledge of the Legends missions, but some of it didn’t. Some of it was just wrong. It had to be. 

“So,” Cisco interrupted the silence, “we probably shouldn’t have let Sara go out for beers then.”

 

[…]

 

Lisa was sitting in a booth of Saints and Sinners when the blonde walks in. Shawna was telling her about a job she had lined up. She didn’t want Lisa’s advice or help. Shawna never needed any help getting away. She wanted to get building schematics and a way to break into a safe. She wanted to make sure that the boss signed off on this job. She didn’t want to step on any toes. In Lenny’s absence, Lisa was in charge. She decided whose toes were worth stepping on.

The blonde pulled Lisa’s attention as she was so out of place in the bar. It was well after lunch, but before the evening crowd and the place was almost empty. There were a few regulars who had spent their day going back and forth from the bar to the betting shop. No one like her. She strode confidently to the bar. She didn’t look around, didn’t acknowledge anyone except Joey, the bartender. 

She pursed her lips when Joey made his way over to her booth. This definitely wasn’t their usual customer. Her day bartender always looked nervous. That’s why she couldn’t put him on evenings. But he seemed unnecessarily anxious as he walks over. 

“Hey Lisa. This lady wants to take … A few crates of beer and… and whiskey,” he said eyebrows raised. “And umm, yeah, she wants to put it on… on Mick Rory’s,” he took a deep breath before continuing, “tab.”

Well that was something that’d need managerial approval. Mick hasn’t had a tab here since Lenny bought the place. Never ends well. 

Lisa looked over at the woman again. She was smiling at her, raising a hand to wave. It must be something in Lisa’s face that stopped her from coming over to make her request in person. She stepped forward before her hand fell, but she hadn’t come any further. Thank God for that. 

Shawna’s interested now too. “Who’s that? Cause Mick doesn’t seem like her type.”

“I have no idea,” Lisa replied calmly. 

“She says that… that she’s from Mick’s… ship.” Lisa sighed. Lenny and his damn mission. She checked her phone but there were no messages. That was so like Lenny. She knew he was home. He knows she knows, and the damn bastard still didn’t have the decency to call. 

“Mick got a boat,” Shawna snorted. “That’s an expensive way to get laid.”

She smiled and nodded at the unknown woman. “Give her whatever she wants, and put it on Lenny’s tab.” 

Joey scurried off, happy to have his orders. He was a sweet boy, just had no back bone. “So, you know her?” Shawna queried.

“No, but they’re damn time travellers. I gave out to Lenny for missing my birthday. You know what he said. I got your age wrong. Damn idiot, ended up in the wrong year.”

Shawna blinked several times, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Maybe Lisa hadn’t mentioned the time travel thing before. Well better to throw the girl in the deep end. If she was going to stick it out as a Rogue, she had to get used to the weird. 

“I don’t know her. But maybe she knows me. Maybe she’ll turn up at my birthday next year.”

Lisa and Shawna returned to their coffees and their plans. In honesty, Lisa was just waiting for Shawna to finish and then she’d suggest they bring Hartley in on this job. It was important to let Shawna lay out her ideas in full though. She was new to this. She had a unique advantage other thieves would kill for, but Lenny was trying to encourage a bit more forethought before he left. 

They paused to watch the slim blonde woman carrying two crates of beer from the bar. Joey tagged behind with the box of whiskey. Lisa sighed. How many times does she have to remind that boy not to leave the damn bar unattended. 

“Hey! You want to win big,” she shouted. “Take one more step Gerard, and you’ll be pawning your own gold fingers tomorrow.”

The fucking idiot actually took a second to consider his options before sitting back down.

“Good choice,” Lisa called out, while Shawna snickered. “I didn’t go to college to be putting up with this shit.”

“No, you went to college, so you’d have Leonard off your back for a few years.” 

Lisa rolled her eyes and smiled. “And look how well that turned out. I’ve inherited an empire,” she mockingly raised her arms to indicate the dingy bar she’s found herself in charge of. “Sooner he gets back here to take it off my hands, the better. “

“Well if Mick’s back, Leonard will show up eventually.”

Lisa grinned at that. “He better show up before I find him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> So, I feel like I should forewarn you... I have several chapters done and nearly edited but beyond that I have no idea where this story is going. It may one day be a complete story, or it could be the WIP that haunts me. Still it's the AU, I keep coming back to and I said I'd give it a shot. Also not beta read, so all errors are mine. Sorry x
> 
> Pairings and rating may change, but if there are any trigger warnings I'll be sure to tag them in the chapter notes.


	4. Reality Paradigms

Barry’s work suffered that day. Even with his speed and ability to multitask, he couldn’t catch up after he returned to the precinct. His mind was not on the task. He was staring aimlessly at one of his samples cycling through the machine, when Joe came by to remind him he was supposed to be in a meeting. His report wasn’t finished, but it didn’t need to be. The results were the same as last time; there was no forensic evidence to report. 

The task force investigating the deaths of three people whose bodies were pulled from the river in the last year should be Barry’s priority. Caitlin’s tests had shown all three to have metahuman powers, and other than that they had nothing in common. Their lives didn’t intersect neatly at any other point. They didn’t come from the same neighbourhood, or go to the same mechanic, or have even one friend in common. All that connected these three individuals was their powers, the violent deaths they had all suffered, and the frustrating lack of any physical evidence. 

He ignored Joe’s concerned look as he left the conference room, an hour later. Singh was less than impressed with his lack of answers today, but the Captain was always easier to brush off than Joe West. He follows Barry on his way back up to the lab.

“Everything alright, Barr?”

“Yeah, just a hectic day Joe.”

“No leads on the metahuman killings?”

“No, none yet. The taskforce is focused on anti-meta groups, but without any forensic evidence there’s nothing but suspicion,” Barry sighed, as he sat at his desk, looking at the ever growing stack of files. 

“Something will turn up. Operations like this often require long term surveillance and investigation before there’s a break. Don’t take it personally. You coming around for dinner tonight?”

“I can’t. There’s a situation at Star Labs. The Legends are in town.”

Joe leaned in the doorway of the lab now, eyebrows raised, waiting for Barry to elaborate. He didn’t.

“You can’t do this all on your own, son.”

“I know, and I’m not. Cisco and Caitlin have it covered. It’s just a busy day. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, but I want to see you for family dinner and a full explanation tomorrow.” Barry’s smile come easily as Joe leaves. 

 

[…]

 

Barry returned to Star Labs after work to discover that the Legends retreat to their ship had been a temporary one. An empty storage room on the same level as the cortex had been repurposed for their stay, with sleeping cots and a table and chairs taken from the old canteen. 

Barry had skidded to a stop, when he saw Mick and Sara quietly playing cards, a bottle of something strong between them. Luckily Barry’s speed meant he stopped about twenty feet down the corridor, so neither of the Legends saw his jaw hit the floor. He’d never seen them during their downtime. It shouldn’t be surprising that they’d bonded, become friends, developed attachments, but – Sara and Mick just seemed so different. 

Although Sara and Leonard were very different people, but that hadn’t stopped them bonding, Barry thought bitterly. 

In the cortex, he finds Cisco eating pizza with Ray and Jax. Cisco doesn’t look happy about the situation either, scowling around a bite of his pizza as Barry enters. 

“I see everyone’s settling in alright,” Barry said. 

“If by settling in, you mean taking over and by everyone you mean the time travellers we didn’t invite here, then yes, everyone’s settling in just fine.”

Jax at least looked guilty. 

“Hey, that’s accurate – but I bought pizza,” Ray pointed out optimistically. “Want some Barry?”

“What’s happening with the room down the hall?” Barry asked instead. Now Ray looked sheepishly at his slice.

“Oh, that’s a funny story,” Cisco began. “Rip made his mutineers walk the plank, right into our Labs –” 

Barry assumed they’d left by mutual agreement, rather than any real show of force on Rip’s part. 

“–Caitlin is right now trying to get him and Stein to leave that ship, which is dangerously unstable. We’re hoping it won’t explode before time resets.”

“It definitely won’t,” Jax added. “We’ve got almost a week before it reaches critical levels.”

“And when it does, it will take all of Central City with it.” Cisco giggled manically. “How is this our lives?”

“It shouldn’t be. How long will this take?”

“Less than a week.” Ray didn’t sound confident.

“And if it takes longer than a week?”

“We’re hoping to talk Rip around before then,” Ray said. Cisco’s snort summed up Barry’s thoughts fairly well at that moment, so he held his tongue.

Jax quickly stepped forward to answer the question Barry had actually asked. “And, if that doesn’t work, I can fix the ship. We’d never put Central City in actual danger, Barry.”

“You should have known better than to do this.” Even to his own ears, his criticism sounded weak. 

“We left a man behind. That needed to be put right,” Jax said, standing up straighter. 

“Come on Barry. Have some food. You, of all people, should benefit from my good luck.”

“Ray won the betting pool,” Jax pointed out helpfully. He shrugged, “there isn’t much to do in the time stream.”

“I’m just surprised Mick lost. He was Snart’s best friend, or best accomplice. Whatever they were to one another, you think he’d have told him at least.”

“Told him what?” The guilty looks returned. 

“They bet on when Sara and Snart would first hook up, because the integrity of the timeline is in the hands of a group of people who act like they’re still in high school.”

Cisco’s angry, but that didn’t stop him from reaching for more food. For the first time in a very long time, maybe since before the particle accelerator, Barry didn’t feel hungry.

“I – I need to talk to Sara.” 

The truth was Barry just needed to get away from the Cortex. He walked slowly down the corridor, not particularly looking forward to this conversation either. 

Sara’s eyes flicked to him briefly as he entered the room, before returning to the cards in her hand. Mick continued to openly stare at Barry as he walked into the room, looking the other man up and down, eyes narrowed and calculating. 

“Who’s the kid?” he asked Sara, completely disregarding Barry to return to their game. 

“Mick, that’s the Flash. Barry Allen, forensic scientist with the CCPD.”

“Huh.” Sara grinned as Mick now openly stared at Barry, cards forgotten. Barry nodded in greeting but Mick said nothing. Either the man was a very good actor, or this was the first time he’d met Barry Allen. They’d met before, Barry remembered, but they’d never had a proper introduction. The Mick Rory who knew Barry’s face thought his name was Sam, and that he was just Lenny’s tech expert.

This was it, the evidence he’d been looking for. The timeline had changed. He’d done more than he should have, but even now Barry can’t walk away. He felt like he was under a microscope, Mick examining him in minute detail while Sara smirked at him over her cards.

“Sara, can I talk to you for a minute?” his voice didn’t waver until he had to add, “outside.”

Sara cocked her head, brows knitted together, looking at him closely. Barry didn’t like her examining him either, as he grudgingly adds, “where there’s no security cameras.”

Sara didn’t ask him why he’s worried about his own team’s security measures, just nodded, tossing down her cards. “You win Mick.”

She followed him without question until they got outside. 

“So, why the secrecy Barry?” 

Barry kept walking, further away from the cameras over the entrance. The timeship was humming on his right, hanger doors closed and no one in sight. Certain that they were far enough away from Cisco’s cameras that his voice won’t be picked up on the mics, he turned to face Sara. 

She stood there with her arms crossed waiting for him to say something. Barry sighed. He knew what she thought was going to happen. She had probably braced herself for another think-of-the-timeline speech, but they’re past that. He couldn’t look her in the eye as he spoke.

“There are some things my team don’t know, about – I suspect your decisions may have already impacted this timeline. I can’t tell Cisco or Caitlin about this. Not now, it’s been too long and with everything else, they’ll worry about me, about the timeline. And I realised, I can’t talk to them, but I can ask you.” 

“Why me?” 

He tried something new, looked Sara straight in the face and told the truth. “Because in a few days you will be erased from this timeline and this conversation will have never happened.”

“Dead women tell no tales,” Sara said, smiling up at him.

“Well, yeah except you won’t be dead.” 

“Hope not. I knew it was a risk, when I went back.” Sara shrugged, looking over her shoulder. Maybe he wasn’t the only person worried about been overheard. The lot behind her was still empty. “I gave Leonard a reason to mistrust me, a reason to keep his distance. Given an opportunity he might have just shot me in the back and said it was an accident.” 

“How can you be – so dismissive of this?” 

She shrugged. “It’s the opposite. I know Len. I know his issues and he doesn’t appreciate people telling him what to do.”

“You risked time to save a man you believe capable of murdering you.” 

Barry knew he was pointing out the obvious, getting dangerously off track from what he came here to say, but part of him needed to understand Sara’s relationship with Snart. She was willing to risk the timeline for him and not her sister. Putting aside her claim that Captain Cold was unimportant to the timeline, there had to be more to the two of them than a few one-night stands. 

“Yes,” she said calmly. “Because in another time, I know he loved me. He can be a better man, better than any of us if we give him a chance. That’s all this is Barry, a chance to make things better.”

Barry shook his head, huffed out a nervous laugh, hearing his own words in Sara’s voice. Why was it about Leonard Snart that made heroes believe in him, even though he’s as likely to betray them as help?

“This is insane. You’re insane.” Barry didn’t add that he’s been just as crazy in the past. He ran his hands nervously over his face, looked anywhere but at Sara, because if anyone could know what he was thinking right now; it’s her. Except Leonard never betrayed her, Barry thought bitterly. 

“And apparently I’m the only person you can trust right now. So out with it. What’s changed?” Sara asked. Barry looked back at her, taking a breath before he tried to lay out his thoughts. 

“I don’t know if anything’s changed,” he lies. “I’m just reassessing every time I fought with Captain Cold, every time Snart started talking about time travel like he knew more than I did. I can’t help thinking that – that he conned me.”

It was different to say it aloud, talking to someone else, rather than letting those words rattle around his head. He hadn’t been able to focus at work, just wanted to get out of there but dreaded coming back to Star Labs. He didn’t want to know the truth, but he had to talk to someone.

She smirked. “I’d be worried if he didn’t at least try.”

“It’s not funny Sara. My team don’t know this, but I – I worked with Snart. We worked together.” 

“I know. That happened in my timeline too.” 

“It did? Are you sure?” Barry wasn’t expecting Sara to know anything about his deals with Snart, so her nonchalant response threw him. She stood in front of him, with a bored look on her face. Barry realised, “he told you”. 

“Once that I know of. He came back in really bad shape,” Sara said pointedly. “Not physically, he was just angry. He said you just wanted him to pull a heist and you’d never see him as a hero. We took some R & R that night, convinced Rip to go back to Central.”

Barry’s brows furrowed as she spoke, but he never interrupted her. He needed to hear this. It sounded so like Snart, but everything else. 

“Sara, I have – That never happened. I have barely seen Leonard since he joined your team, and when we did meet up, we never pulled a heist. Well, not recently.”

He shouldn’t have said that last past. She was examining him again, her eyes never leaft his face as she said, “Savitar.”

“I – Sara I don’t know what that is.”

“Good”. Barry threw his hands up in the air, took a step back. Her attitude hadn’t changed, even knowing that the timeline had been affected. She was still defiant, unapologetic. She reminded him of Leonard. 

“It is good, Barry. It means something has changed. You won’t have to worry about an evil speedster murdering Iris before your wedding day.”

Barry’s mind ground to a halt. He wanted to run away, pretend this wasn’t happening, that he didn’t understand what she was telling him. He’d been so concerned about the past, wondering if he’d made all the wrong decisions, wondering if he could trust Snart. He’d never once considered how his life could have been different. 

“What are you talking about?” he eventually asked calmly, well calmer than he’d expected those words to come out.

She rolled her eyes but doesn’t say anything more. She didn’t understand, and Barry was just praying he’d misunderstood.

“I don’t mean the speedster, I mean – why do you think I’m getting married?” 

His question surprised her. Barry watched the slow realization, the pity on her face, and he held his breath waiting for her to speak. “Because we got an invitation,” she said.

“Who – who was I marrying?”

She doesn’t look away, “Iris.”

“Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit.”

“I’m sorry Barry. I didn’t realise, but hey, just because something hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t.”

“No. Me and Iris are not together. We are never going to be together. She’s already married.” His voice rose, until he was almost shouting, suddenly uncaring about who could overhear their conversation.

“Who is she married to?” Sara asked.

“Eddie. Eddie Thawne. They’re expecting their first child. Wait, what do you know?”

“I never heard of anyone called Eddie working with Team Flash. I don’t know who he is. Martin might know, but I don’t think he’s in the mood to answer my questions. He might help you though.”

“No,” Barry said sharply. “We are not asking Professor Stein about this. Things are out of control enough without everyone else knowing. “

“What are you trying to hide Barry?”

“I have done some things, because I thought it was the right thing to do and I’ve been wrong, more than I’ve been right. I’m not talking about my own time travel mistakes. This isn’t a lecture. You told Leonard Snart that time travel existed, and he used that information Sara. He used it to – I watched him kill his father.”

“I know.”

“And then I got him out of there before the police arrived. I helped him. I’ve been helping him for years, because I thought it was what I was supposed to do.” 

Barry watched her eyebrows rise, the first outward sign of shock she’s shown.

“In my timeline, Leonard Snart went to jail for killing his father. He said you went to visit him,” she said softly. “I don’t know about the rest Barry.” 

“I helped him get rid of the mob; we ran them out of town. I wouldn’t let him do it the way he wanted. I’ve let him commit crimes in this city unchecked. I’ve let him build a criminal empire, because I thought that’s the way it always happened. That was the future, us working together, so why try and stop it.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“But you know me, and you knew him. What do you think? Would the Barry Allen you knew have done what I’ve done?”

“No. But Barry, the result is the same. Central City is safe and protected. It sounds safer than it was in my timeline. No mobsters. No Savitar.” 

“Maybe I’m the villain that’s worse than any of them.”

“No Barry, you’re not, and if Snart survives feel free to throw him back in prison for all the bullshit he told you.”

“Tempting,” Barry muttered. 

“I went to Leonard’s bar today. I saw – a friend of his. I’ve had drinks with this person, we did shots at the bar and danced. It only happened 3 months ago, but today I saw her, and she looked at me like – 

“She doesn’t know me, and if I’m erased the new Sara won’t know her. Maybe they’ll meet and go dancing some night in the future. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter, and I can’t change it now. Once the timeline resets their lives are their own. 

“If you don’t want to work with Snart in this timeline, you don’t have to. You can shape your future.”

“This is all your fault,” he said, unwilling to consider his future.

Sara folded her arms. “It’s done now. You’re proof of that. This is the brave new timeline and there’s no going back.”

“I could,” he said. His voice sounded more confident than he felt. “I could go back and stop you speaking to him. Remove you from that warehouse in 2014.”

The sound of the Waveriders hanger door opening drew his eyes away from Sara. The constant whirr of its unstable engines becoming louder. Sara didn’t turn to look. 

“He told you.” It was almost a whisper but standing this close he couldn’t miss it.

“I know enough to stop it, if I have to.” Barry’s voice was quieter too, as a he watched Rip and Martin disembark the ship, Caitlin following behind them, scowling at something. 

“Then why haven’t you?” Sara asked bluntly. 

“Because messing with the timeline is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs,” he sneers. 

Sara rolled her eyes at him again. She really was just like Leonard. He can’t understand how they spent so much time together without eventually turning on one another. That thought only leads him to wonder how much time they did spend together. Enough time for Sara to fall in love, but not long enough to realise what Snart was really like. 

“You’re lying, but it doesn’t matter.” 

She stepped back as the other Legends draw closer, boldly turning to face Rip and Stein. Barry tensed, and Caitlin’s sympathetic look makes him feel even worse. Rip and Martin walked by without a word.

“I should get back in there. Keep the troops in line,” Sara said. “If you want to compare timelines some more, you know where to find me.”

“Comparing timelines?” Caitlin asked as she reached his side. “Isn’t that exactly what we said we wouldn’t do?”

“Yeah. It just came up.”

“Don’t feel too bad Barry. It’s impossible to not talk about it, when we have no idea what might have changed already. I found one change myself,” she confessed.

“Yeah, what’s that?” he asked. 

“Whatever the Legends did to disable the ship, the atmospheric controls have gone haywire. It’s freezing in there, and the metal components in the engine aren’t safe to handle. So, I let Killer Frost take over, except this Martin Stein had no idea that I’m a metahuman.”

“How is a change like that even possible?”

“I don’t know. We suspect that Killer Frost has always been a part of me and isn’t a result of the particle accelerator explosion, so it’s possible an event triggered her manifestation earlier in this timeline. Or it could be the actions of another time traveller, or a different Legends mission – ”

“Or me,” Barry added.

“I didn’t mean that Barry. We’ll never know, and I’m happy where I am. Killer Frost is a part of me and it’s taken a lot of therapy for me to accept her, but I’d never change any of it. So, what difference to the timeline did you step in?”

“I was engaged to Iris.”

“Whoa, I’m so sorry Barry.” The look on Caitlin’s face made him feel guilty, as she leant forward to support him. He hugged her back, taking the comfort she offered as he bit his tongue. There was no point in correcting her. Caitlin thought he should be sad about what he had lost, but Barry just feels adrift. A timeline where he had ended up with Iris, just seemed too foreign to be real.

“It’s alright, just a shock. But now we know that the timeline has changed, what next?” he asked as he pulled back from Caitlin. 

“Well maybe we should talk about the differences,” Caitlin suggested. “Maybe getting a clear picture of what happened before Sara interfered in 2014 would be a start. We could focus on the Legends mission and try to avoid – spoilers related to our own pasts.”

“Couldn’t that be dangerous?”

“We wouldn’t gather any information about the future, but we’d have a blueprint of events leading up to this point. For it to be of any use, we’d have to gather the same information from the Legends in this timeline, cross checking for variation. Honestly Barry, these people need something to do or we’re going to spend the next few days breaking up actual fist fights.” 

“It’s a good idea, but you’ll need to get all of them to agree.”

“Rip and Martin are already willing to participate,” she admitted with a smile. “I hinted that substantial variations might convince the Legends we know to change things back to the way they were, especially since there’s no guarantee that this plan will save Snart’s life. It could have the opposite effect and result in more losses for their team.”

“That’s – borderline manipulative.” 

“Well, it’s the truth,” she pointed out. 

“What are you going to tell the rest of them?”

“That it’s an exciting opportunity to map how one event can change the course of history, and the Legends from this timeline deserve to know how their lives have changed.”

“You scare me sometimes,” Barry confessed.

Caitlin smiled. “We got things covered here Barry, if you want to take tonight off.”

“No,” Barry said quickly. “I have to be out there, patrolling, but I need to go for a run first and clear my head.”

Caitlin nodded, squeezing his arm in support before he sped back to the cortex. Barry didn’t stop to talk to the others, changing into his suit and running back towards Central City, before they knew he was there. He appreciated Caitlin’s support, but he couldn’t deal with any more conversations about the timeline tonight. 

Comms switched off, he made a quick detour on his usual route. The apartment building wasn’t as old as it looked, but it was run down. The landlord unwilling to put money into actually managing the place, when they knew the rent would keeping coming regardless. Barry hasn’t been back here since Leonard Snart joined the Legends and went off on his mission. 

He phased through the door of a third-floor apartment to find everything exactly as he remembers. The place they used for their secret meetings was always sparsely furnished, and Leonard had covered everything before he left. He’d told Barry he was leaving, told him why the mission was important, but it had still shocked Barry to find the place so bare. He had come by a few nights after Leonard left, maybe expecting it all to be a ruse for one last big heist.

There was nothing here that could link back to Barry or Leonard. This place had been their neutral ground, their no-man’s land. They’d worked together, to do what they believed was best for Central City and this apartment had been their base of operations. At least that had been the plan, in the beginning.

It became a home away from home, so much so that Barry had to move out of Joe’s house and find a place of his own. His frequent overnight absences led to a lot of awkward questions. Barry wondered if he was still living at Joe’s in that other timeline. No, he and Iris probably had a place of their own. The realisation shocked him, and he stopped reminiscing. 

Barry walked over to the phone, dialling the first number from memory. Disconnected. Barry wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but he still dialled the next number. 

It’s answered on the third ring. Barry didn’t speak and there’s only silence on the other side. 

“So, my brother’s back in town, and his mysterious caller has returned too. That’s interesting.” Lisa’s voice practically purred, and Barry hung his head, listening but Lisa doesn’t say anything else. 

He hung up. Barry’s method of finding Snart was well known to the Rogues, even if they didn’t know who was calling. Leonard liked that it added mystique to his persona and had encouraged all the rumours. Barry had even heard a few of them around the precinct. The Rogues had been told to trust the silent caller, and they did, sometimes offering information on where to find Leonard, but it had been almost ten months since the phone had rung. 

When another safehouse phone was answered, a female voice offered a tentative hello and Barry distinctly heard Pied Piper in the background, crowing that deep throat had returned. Barry hung up the phone in disgust, confident that Leonard wasn’t there, and they had no relevant information. He’d known that as soon as Lisa had nothing to add but he continued to call all the safehouses just to be sure. If there was anything affecting their side of the business she’d have told him. It was disturbing enough that she thought Leonard was back in town. Barry didn’t need Rogue drama on top of everything else.

While Sara was probably to blame for Lisa’s suspicions, Barry had some of his own. If Snart survived, would he turn up when and where Sara expected? The other man was suspicious to the point of paranoia about situations he couldn’t entirely predict. 

Before leaving Barry picked up the pen and paper, and wrote a simple note, _‘Call me if you’re not dead, S.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> This chapter is way too long. May re-edit but if I worry too much about the details, I'm afraid it'll never get posted.


	5. Scrutiny

The previous night’s patrol had been uneventful, but Barry had continued running, long after Cisco and Caitlin had gone home, until he was almost exhausted and hopeful of sleep. It hadn’t worked. He was still late to work, and Singh’s sympathetic grimace let him know he looked more haggard than usual. Spending all day yesterday locked in the lab indulging in self pity and his own fears for the timeline was enough. He’d planned to talk to Joe and Eddie today, but didn’t stop on his swift walk past the bullpen for more than a polite nod. He knew he was a coward, but he was already fifteen minutes late. 

His conversation with Sara was supposed to answer questions, put his mind at ease. He wanted to hear that the decisions he’d made in the last three years weren’t entirely down to a thief who’d claimed to know the future. Barry knew that was too simplistic. Leonard’s and his relationship had evolved overtime, but a big chunk of their early conversations revolved around Barry’s interest in knowing the future.

The first time Snart had betrayed him, releasing all the pipeline metas on Central City, Leonard had a vision of what the Flash would become and that had intrigued Barry. His words had haunted Barry, made him rethink all the decisions he’d made up to that point, under Wells instruction. 

“ _Who you’re really mad at is yourself. You put other metahumans, other people, in indefinite solitary confinement, because you could and because there was no one strong enough to stop you._ ” He remembered how Snart had laughed quietly at whatever he saw on Barry’s face. “ _It’s going to take a villain like me, to make the Flash into the hero Central City needs._ ” 

“ _Don’t worry Barry, it always happened this way. We’ll work together again, soon, but the Rogues will be there to stop you if you go too far._ ” 

He’d doubted himself after that night, worried what he could become if left unchecked, and he’d sought Leonard out more than once with questions and what ifs, and the thief had been more than willing to listen and offer his own advice. Barry dreaded to think that he’d been manipulated again, swapping the Eobard Thawne for another villainous accomplice, who was only using him for his speed. But that’s unfair to Leonard, who even with his dubious moral code went out of his way to help Barry more times than anyone knows.

Now Sara’s revelations had made him realise that whatever Leonard’s intentions, his interest in moulding the Flash had changed Barry’s life in ways that seemed impossible. In an alternate world, Barry Allen had been preparing to marry Iris West, and he wasn’t sure what he felt about that, but he knew he couldn’t keep this secret. Even if Caitlin wasn’t mapping the changes to the timeline, Iris and Eddie deserved to know. They would find out eventually, but they deserved to hear it from Barry. 

Barry’s childhood crush on Iris had lasted longer than it should have, but now it was just embarrassing fodder for awkward family jokes. He hadn’t seriously considered his fantasies about Iris for years. He tried to focus on his work again, ignoring Cisco’s updates from Star Labs which are mostly just a laundry list of ways the Legends are getting in the way.

Barry had to leave his lab eventually, to drop his very late report directly into the Captain. It was just as he assumed, no evidence and no new leads for the detectives on the case.

He summoned up the courage to walk over into the bullpen, where he was greeted by Eddie's easy smile. “Hey Barr, everything okay?”

“Yeah, just glad it’s Friday.”

“Joe mentioned you were having a stressful week, and you’ve had some out of town visitors as well.”

“Yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” Barry said, subtly looking around the room before taking a seat beside Eddie.

“Sure thing. Don’t know if I can be much help with your time traveller problems but shoot.”

“Our visitors made a change to the timeline in 2014, and we’ve noticed some – changes that Caitlin is trying to map out. So very soon, everyone’s going to know, about these changes, and I just wanted to speak to you first.”

“Okay?”

“It affects you, or rather it affected all of us. Me too, definitely.”

“Barr you’re rambling.”

“I was supposed to marry Iris,” he blurted out and immediately realised that it was the wrong thing to say. “In the other timeline. I mean we were engaged in the other timeline, me and Iris.” 

Eddies face shut down. He’d been smiling at Barry’s stuttered explanation, but the smile dropped from his face. Barry bit his lip, but the silence was torture. 

“The other team, well Sara Lance, she doesn’t know you’re involved with Team Flash. She’s never heard your name. So, it’s possible you never met Iris, maybe you ended up working at a different Precinct or with a different partner.”

Eddie eventually interrupted Barry. “What do you think happened Barry?” It should sound like an accusation, but Barry had been wondering the same thing for the last twelve hours and there only seemed to be one answer.

“I think you died. The changes to the timeline seem to revolve around Team Flash.” He had no idea if this was true or not but knowing Snart, it was only a matter of time before Caitlin confirmed it. “And you and Iris met before I woke up. You were so in love back then, and you still are. I could never see anything or anyone breaking you up.”

“So, I died, and you married Iris?”

“Maybe,” Barry admitted, keeping his eyes on the floor. 

“Good,” Eddie said, shocking Barry enough that he has to look the man in the face and see if he really means it. “This is a dangerous job, and I know if anything ever happens to me, you and Joe will look after Iris. Although I never pictured you going that far – ”

“Neither have I.”

“I’m still glad that Iris was cared for and happy.”

Barry released a heavy sigh, relaxing back into his seat. “You’re taking this so much better than I thought you would.”

Eddie smiled again. “Don’t count your blessings yet, we still have to tell Iris.”

Barry nodded. “I was thinking about that. Would you prefer if – I mean, you can tell her, and I’ll talk to her after. I just thought she might want some privacy or some time to think before – ”

Eddie laughed at him stumbling over his words this time. “Oh no, Barr you’re not getting out of this one. Anyway, I won’t be seeing Iris before dinner tonight. She’s working on her next article and will probably head straight to Joe’s house after work.”

Barry’s stomach plummeted again. He’d been so worried about talking to Eddie that he’d completely forgotten about family dinner. After bailing on Joe yesterday, there was no way he’d get out of it tonight. He knew much of the discussion will now revolve around the other timeline. Barry ran his hands through his hair as Eddie laughed again. 

“What’s so funny?” Joe asked. Barry had been so distracted he hadn’t noticed the other man returning to his desk.

Eddie shook his head, unable to answer and Barry took that as his cue to head back to his lab. 

He found it easier to focus after talking to Eddie. The monotony of lab work always relaxed him in a way that was hard to explain to others. The day passed quickly with no new cases. Barry was soon able to catch up on his reports, on top of inventorying his lab and making a quick list of items he needed to order next week, before finishing on time. 

Unfortunately, the Flash’s work had never been a nine to five gig, and he flashed into Star Labs before dinner. Caitlin had been busy compiling a detailed map of the former timeline, but without knowing the details of the team’s lives in this timeline that information was useless right now. The Legends also knew very little about the lives of the Star Labs team, so there appeared to be very few alterations to their own lives, but they couldn’t confirm those are the only changes. Barry bit his lip, as he gazed at the map, certain they would find more, but they needed to wait for the other team. No one would be jumping to any conclusions until then.

Caitlin had found both of the alterations Barry was already aware of; Leonard Snart didn’t go to prison following his father’s murder, and Barry was engaged to Iris. He ignored her sympathetic look and Cisco’s raised brows, choosing instead to glare at the screen. Unsurprisingly, the Rogues appeared to have been more active in the new timeline. Mick Rory recalled fewer heists and run ins with the Flash than they had on file. So far, most of the changes seemed to revolve around Leonard Snart and the people closest to him. 

Barry left before they could draw any seemingly obvious conclusions, telling the others to take the night off. Caitlin had already made plans and Cisco was more than happy to leave Star Labs in the hands of the Legends. They were set up with separate impromptu dormitories, Caitlin’s questions appeared to have lessened the tension and the Waverider wasn’t going to implode tonight. There was nothing more they could do, except wait. 

The West house was already noisy with conversation when Barry arrived. He was late and everyone else was here. Iris sat at the table, one hand on her growing belly, talking to Wally.

“Well there he is, my future husband,” Iris greeted him.

Barry’s stomach dropped, but Joe shouted out a greeting form the kitchen and Wally continued to set the table while grinning broadly at him. Iris was smiling too, not angry and demanding answers but relaxed and teasing him. 

“Not funny,” he eventually stuttered. 

“I took pity on you, Barry. Not going to say thank you,” Eddie asked as he walked by with a plate of bread rolls. Barry nabbed one of the rolls before his mind caught up with his mouth. 

“Thank you, and Iris. Thanks for understanding. I know this is a bit strange.”

Barry bit into his roll and took his seat just in time for Joe to bring out dinner, with Wally following behind him with salads. 

“Strange is pretty normal around here,” Wally added with a smirk. “So, who was going to be your best man?”

The easy conversation and laughter over dinner relaxed Barry, especially when Joe turned the conversation away from his and Iris’s imaginary wedding plans. 

He had often marvelled at how easily Joe and Iris had taken him into their house and their family, after his father went to jail. As a child, he’d worried there was a line he could cross, a rule he’d break, that would see him kicked out. It had taken a lot of truancy and arguments about his amateur mythbusting for him to realise, Joe would never tell him to leave. It had taken another few years for Barry to really accept that this house was really his home. They would always be his family, no matter what. 

He still worried about their reactions, if they ever found out how closely he had been working with Captain Cold. None of them would approve or even understand, but they’d never turn him away. They’d be disappointed in him, that he’d fallen for Snart’s ruse, given up so much, but they’d always be here for him. It’s a welcome break from the anxiety of the last two days spent worrying about his past and his future. 

Barry cleared away the dishes and cleaned the table in a flash of lightening, while the others moved into the living room. Barry, never on time to help make food, always offered to tidy up. He had most of the dishes washed and dried when he heard a low sound, rising in pitch slowly. He slowed down, and the repetitive ring of the telephone seemed to speed up. 

He walked slowly toward the phone in the hallway, which rarely rings unless Joe has forgotten to charge his cellphone. He was trying to appear unhurried but that plan backfired, when Joe West reached the phone before him. 

“Hello,” he paused and then repeated, “hello.”

Barry’s watched from the doorway, as Joe frowned at him. “I’m too old for prank calls,” Joe said angrily into the receiver. Barry watched him move to put it down and everything slowed down again as he sped forward, stopping Joe. 

Barry took the phone from a very confused Joe and listened to the silence on the other end. “Hello?” 

The continued silence was a disappointment. This was the part where Snart would whisper an address and a time, and Barry would pretend he hadn’t heard anything either before hanging up the phone. This was the other side of their system, rarely used, as Barry was generally easier to find than Leonard. Instead all Barry heard was silence, and perhaps the soft breathing of the person on the other end of the line. 

“This is Barry Allen. Hello? Can you hear me?” The definitive click of the other caller hanging up, and then all Barry heard was the dial tone. They’d hung up before he’d finished speaking. That wasn’t Snart. He’d have said something, wouldn’t he?

Joe patted Barry on the shoulder, “Don’t worry about it, son. Come on.”

Barry hesitated, thinking of his family gathered together in the living room but he knew something was wrong, and he needed to get to the apartment. 

“Actually, with everything going on I think I’m going to run by the Labs. It’s just – unsettling,” he finished awkwardly, looking down at the phone.

“Yeah. I know,” Joe said, his face blank. 

“It’d probably nothing. I’ll just be five minutes,” Barry said edging toward the front door. Thinking better of it, he headed for the living room to explain to the others.

“Barry you’re not going already, are you?” Eddie said before Barry had a chance to explain himself. He sat beside Iris, a genuinely concerned look on his face. Iris turned to him equally worried, and Barry realised this has become a regular thing. He has run out on his family too often.

“I just want to check in on the Legends, make sure they haven’t killed each other,” he said casually. Joe leant against the doorway, still frowning. 

“Aren’t they supposed to be a team?” Wally asked sarcastically. 

“Barry, before you go,” Iris began, and Barry can’t help but look at the clock on the mantelpiece. How long has it been? A minute. Two. “We want to ask you something, well you and Wally.” 

“I’ll be right –,” Barry began, but Iris shushed him, pretending to give him a stern look before she continued. He’d never been able to say no to Iris, and she was beaming, holding Eddies hand close to her. This was important, and he couldn’t walk away from her.

“Well we found out yesterday that I’m having a girl.”

Barry grinned and honestly, he couldn’t be happier for Iris. His congratulations got lost as suddenly everyone was talking at once. Wally overjoyed, Joe warning her about karma and Eddie laughing at them all. 

Iris wasn’t done though. “And we decided on a name, with your blessing of course.” 

Barry frowned, but Wally asked, “why would you need our blessing?” 

There were tears in Iris’s eyes as she turned to Eddie, and they shared a look. “We were thinking, Nora Francine Thawne.”

Barry felt tears of his own rising up. It was an emotional moment for everyone, but Joe stepped forward first. He sat next to Iris taking her hand, “it’s okay, sweetheart.”

“Of course, Iris that’s a beautiful name,” Wally added softly.

“Barr, you okay?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, it’d be an honour. It’s perfect.” 

Iris laughed between tears, standing up to hug Barry close, before turning to Wally. He wiped away his tears, as Joe declared, “I was going to wait until the actual birth, but – who wants champagne?”

“Dad, that’s not fair,” Iris whined, gesturing at her stomach.

Barry’s eyes were drawn back to the clock. It’s been four minutes, maybe five, since their crank caller. “I just have to – I’ll be right back, I swear,” he promised, before leaving in a spark of lightening. He watched Iris’s face as it falls. She’s disappointed, probably worried about him as well. He can’t change that. 

Flashing into the apartment, no more than six minutes after the mystery call, Barry discovered the place empty. Just as he left it. Snart wasn’t here. It was possible the call hadn't come from here, but that just confirmed what Barry already knew. It hadn't been Len who'd called him.

Their agreement was established on the understanding that no one could ever know about their agreement. _The first rule of Fight Club_ , Barry had joked at the time, but it was an apt reference. They certainly couldn’t pull any of their punches in public fights, with the CCPD, Barry’s friends at Star Labs, and the whole of Central City paying close attention.

They also couldn’t leave any record of their meetings. They only called each other from the phone in the apartment, or they met face to face. No phone records or texts that could be traced back to either of them. No proof the Flash was working with Captain Cold. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, and now Barry’s hoping it would prevent everyone finding out what an idiot he was, trusting Leonard. Maybe when all of this was over, he could get out of it with his secrets intact. 

He walked over to the notepad beside the phone he’d used the night before. Discovering a new message, his stomach dropped. 

_“S, if anything has happened to my brother you’re dead. GG.”_

He tore the page from the pad, along with the next few pages so no one would even be able to make an impression of the message. As he ran away from the apartment block, the pages smoulder and quickly burn from his speed. He ran through the labs, like he said he would, discovering the Legends having a quiet movie night, Rip the only one absent from the small group. Professor Stein looked stern, but he was sitting with his teammates nonetheless. Even if he sat as far from Sara as physically possible, it was progress.

Back at Joe West’s house, he was greeted with a flute of champagne and smiled happily as he told his family everything was okay. He knew it was a lie, but he wasn’t going to ruin their happy moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> Thank for all the support. It's surreal seeing authors I've followed and admired encouraging me to continue this story. I've lurked in many fandoms for more years than I care to admit, so it's very strange putting something of my own out there, and I'm just happy you enjoy it. I've plotted out this story now and it's going to take some very strange twists and turns, but I'm looking forward to them, and I've got 5 weeks to get it done.


	6. A Frosty Reception

Barry’s plan to sleep in on his day off was interrupted by the incessant buzzing of his phone. Seeing Cisco’s name displayed, he groaned but answered immediately.

“Yeah?”

“Lisa Snart is about to walk into Star Labs. Maybe storm would be a better word. She looks like she’s storming.”

“Shit. I’m on my way.”

He quickly dressed and flashed to Cisco’s side in the Cortex. He’d passed Lisa in the lobby on her way to the elevator. They had a few short minutes before she joined them. “We need better security,” he said as he stopped beside Cisco.

“You think?” Cisco responded sarcastically. “Maybe if we went five minutes without a new emergency, I could sort that out, but right now – this week has been crazy. Do you think she knows, about the Snart situation?”

Barry watched the screen currently showing Lisa Snart in an elevator descending towards the Cortex. She was clutching a sheaf of papers in one hand, gold gun in the other and she looked furious. No, he thought, she couldn’t know, but she’d found the apartment. Her cryptic message had rattled him, but Barry was certain his identity was safe. She couldn’t have figured it out. 

It was possible that she was the person calling Joe’s last night. That didn’t make sense either, there’s no way Lisa could have Joe’s number, but someone had it, someone who knew their system.

“What do we do Barry?”

“We talk to her,” Barry conceded reluctantly. It was the last thing he wanted to do but their only option. “See what she wants.”

They heard her before she arrived in the Cortex, Lisa’s voice raised in the corridor. Cisco sighed, typing a command to bring up the surveillance footage from the area. Lisa was talking with Mick, but from the angry voices drifting down the hall, it was obvious they were fighting.

“Should we?” Cisco began, faltering when he had no suggestions about what to do in this situation.

Barry agreed, shaking his head. “This is Rogues business. There’s nothing we can do right now.”

Barry watched Sara try to join Mick and Lisa, but Lisa appeared to dismiss the other woman with barely a glance while the other Legends watched from the doorway of their dormitory. 

Leonard never spoke of Lisa like a baby sister, despite their age gap. She was as dangerous as any of his accomplices, not someone who needed protecting from his lifestyle but someone who revelled in it. He kept his secrets, not to protect her, but so she wouldn’t have to worry about him. Their childhood had been harsh, with the siblings always looking out for one another, often to their own detriment.

Leonard’ anger had been his only shield against the world he grew up in, and Barry knew that habits learned so young were often the hardest to break. Captain Cold sneered and shouted to hide his fears and his anxieties, his scars and anything else he considered a weakness. He would burn Central City to the ground before he’d admit he was wrong, or hurting. It looked like Lisa had developed some of the same habits, unleashing her fury on Mick. A small part of Barry was just glad she wasn’t standing in front of him right now. He’d never borne up well when confronted by her brother’s rages. 

They watched as Lisa shook her head, stepping back but Mick was there to catch her before she fell. Still speaking, he held her close as all the rage she’d wielded a moment ago slipped away. Cisco didn’t need to turn on the audio for them both to understand what was happening. Barry turned away from the screen to find Rip Hunter standing behind him. 

“Who’s that?” the other man asked quietly. 

“Leonard Snart’s sister,” Cisco supplied coldly, “and I think she just found out her brother is dead.”

Rip left the Cortex with a nod, walking away from the sounds of grief that were drifting up the corridor. Cisco hadn’t turned away from the screen, his jaw clenched but Barry can’t look any longer. 

The knowledge that Snart will hopefully be resurrected could never console his sister, not as she discovered he had died, sometime in the future, far away from his family. Barry felt tears of his own burning, for the first time since the Legends appeared, but he pushed them back. 

Cisco wasn’t angry about Lisa’s appearance in the Labs. He’s angry at the situation and the Legends, for their role in all this. Cisco had a soft spot for the criminal, but Barry didn’t realise how much the other man cared until he watched him glare at that screen.

A sharp tap on the keyboard, the screen now blank, Cisco swivelled in his chair to face the doorway. Mick had an arm strung carelessly around Lisa, her eyes red. She was wiping away her tears with one hand but in the grim line of her mouth, Barry recognised that familiar Snart resolve. In her other hand, Lisa held the gold gun at her side, almost forgotten.

“Cisco, Barry. Would one of you care to explain why my apparently dead brother’s been calling you and your friends?”

It wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. “He hasn’t,” he said, faltering as Mick hands a stack of papers to Cisco.

“Evidence says otherwise,” he sneered. 

Cisco flipped through the pages quickly. Barry saw highlighted lines on every page, with notes in the margins. “This is… what is this?”

“Phone records, for a secret safehouse Lenny had. No one knew about it except him and he made some very interesting calls before going off on his mission.”

“How did you even get these? That’s Joe’s house, Jitters – the precinct?! What the hell was Captain Cold doing calling the CCPD?”

Mick shrugged. “Think he used to call in tips on some of his heists,” he provided. “That man loved a challenge.”

“Loves a challenge,” Barry corrected, rolling his eyes to Lisa. “He’s not done yet.” Mick grunted his agreement, his arm tightening around Lisa, probably the only thing keeping her up. 

“Now are you sure this is legit? Where did these phone records come from?” Barry asked, pretending he can’t already guess the answer.

“Cisco isn’t the only person in this city who can use a computer. I trust my guy,” Lisa sneered, unwilling to reveal that Hartley Rathaway has been working with the Rogues. 

“That’s – that’s Caitlin’s cellphone number,” Cisco looked up at Barry with wide eyes, pointing an accusing finger at one of the highlighted rows. Barry stiffened at the news, certain he hadn’t called Caitlin. What the hell had Leonard done now?

“Oh, good to know, my source couldn’t identify that one,” Lisa said sharply.

“How’d you find the safehouse?” Barry asked taking the papers from Cisco, examining them closely. He started by counting the number of calls to Joe’s house, stopped when he discovered over twenty in a few short months. Flicking through the remaining pages, it looked like Piper had dug up over two years of calls, to and from the safehouse.

Lisa sniffed. “I was looking for Lenny. One of his – associates called me, so I traced the call back to its original location.”

“What’s the name of your brother’s contact?” Cisco asked already turning back to the console. Barry’s eyes dart fearfully between Lisa and Cisco.

“Don’t know. Bastard never speaks.” 

“What kind of source is that?” Cisco exclaimed, turning he saw Lisa’s puffy face and softened his approach. “Never mind, where did the call come from? I can pull up surveillance, and you can tell me if you recognise anyone.” 

“No. We can’t– and you’ll never find him anyway. Len made sure of it. His mystery caller is untouchable,” she said the last word with such vehemence, Barry knew she’d kill him if she ever found out. 

“You don’t want to find them, do you?” Sara asked from the doorway, Barry gritted his teeth, wondering how long the Legend had been listening. She walked towards Lisa slowly, the other woman’s eyes darting from face to face. 

“I’m not allowed,” she admitted. “I thought it was one of you. I thought that Lenny was working with you, and I’d find him here, but – It doesn’t matter. He’ll turn up or he won’t, and that will be that.” Lisa wiped away new tears, as Barry looked away. 

“Lisa are you -?” Cisco rethought his words and began again. “If you’re afraid of this person, we can help.”

Lisa smiled at him through the tears. “I’m not afraid for myself. I just wanted to find my brother, shout at him for coming home and forgetting to visit me.”

Mick pulled up the chair next to Cisco’s and unceremoniously manoeuvred Lisa into it. She doesn’t seem to notice, her eyes unfocused as the tears continue to fall. Her gun clatters to the floor.

Rory knelt next to her. “Len is going to be just fine, you hear me? We made sure of it, me and Sara. He’s coming home to you.”

“Mick’s right. This time next week, he’ll back running his bar and planning heists,” Sara said softly, her arms folded awkwardly, stepping closer again but she stopped when Lisa glares up at her with suspicion.

“How does she know about the bar?” Her question clearly directed at Mick.

He uttered a confused, “huh, Saints? She danced on the damn bar, and you were up there with her.”

“Christ I must have been drunk. I don’t remember that,” Lisa sniffled. Barry and Cisco shared a knowing look but said nothing.

“I’m sure we can dig up a few pictures,” Sara offered, smiling at the other woman. 

Lisa laughed shaking her head. “No thank you. I’m good.” She took a breath and steadied herself. “I’m good. Lenny’s going to be okay?”

“Yeah he is,” Mick reassured her, a wide grin on his face. 

Cisco offered Lisa a box of tissues, and everyone gave her a moment to compose herself. Sara watched Barry over Mick’s shoulder, but he ignored her, choosing instead to look through the pages Lisa had brought with her. It was damning evidence. Len had been so convinced the Rogues would follow his orders, but he’d completely underestimated his sister. 

The click click of heels running down the corridor alerted them to another visitor before Caitlin rounded the corner. Barry raised his eyes to see the other woman stop suddenly at the sight of them, and his mouth fell open when he took in her appearance. She hadn’t had time to change. Sara let out a noise of appreciation, receiving an icy look from Caitlin. He snapped his own mouth closed and focused on her face. 

“Cisco said there was an emergency,” she said haltingly, clutching a gym bag to her chest. The large bag didn’t hide the fact that she was dressed head to toe in leather and wearing last nights make-up.

“Crisis averted. Lisa just thought we were prank calling her,” Cisco said cheerfully. “Did Frosty have a fun Friday night?”

Caitlin groaned, her nose wrinkling, “I need a shower and about twelve hours sleep,” and then her face fell, “wait, a prank caller.”

She looked at Lisa now with an intensity that worried Barry. “It’s just one of Lenny’s sources. The guy calls but never says anything. It’s how my brother knew to – contact him, I guess. He never told me the details.”

“Here, it looks like the same person was calling your cell phone,” Cisco offered, prying the pages from Barry’s hands and giving them to Caitlin. Her is dropped to the floor as she takes them from him, suddenly unconcerned about her clothes. She didn’t flick through the pages, just examined the number in the top right corner, the apartment’s phone number. 

Barry chest tightened as Caitlin’s shoulders slumped and then she looked directly at him. “Killer Frost gets calls from this number.”

Barry is stunned, the same as everyone else appeared to be and then the questions began. Sara and Lisa demanding to know about Killer Frost and her role in all this. Caitlin tried to explain to the others about her alter ego. Barry offered facts when necessary, but his answers were short and his voice tight. He told them how Killer Frost helped Team Flash grudgingly, to defeat Zoom and other metahumans. He skipped over the part where Killer Frost had initially joined Zoom’s band of metahuman soldiers when he first arrived on their Earth. 

He was trying to defuse the situation, Lisa already out of her seat and closing in on a distressed Caitlin. Cisco didn’t help, pointing out that the dangerous metahuman who takes over Caitlin’s body liked to go out partying every weekend, and the odd Wednesday night, and bi-monthly Bingo on a Monday. Sara’s eyesbrows rose in disapproval.

None of them could explain her link to Captain Cold. Barry pointed out the metahuman hadn’t manifested until after Leonard Snart left Central City. Caitlin’s quiet “about that,” made them all pause to stare at her. The theory that Killer Frost had existed inside her long before the particle accelerator was no surprise to Barry or Cisco, but Caitlin now quietly admitted to hiding her alter ego. Believing her metahuman abilities were as a result of the same explosion that created the Flash, she’d chosen to hide that side of herself from them.

“But why? Caitlin you could have trusted us.”

“Trusted you to put me in your pipeline,” Caitlin whined, her eyes glowing blue. They all took a step back, and Barry noticed Lisa retrieving her gun. 

He stepped in front of Caitlin without thinking, “she’d okay. Lisa she’s in control, put the gun away.” Barry turned to Caitlin, never more relieved to see her large brown eyes looking up at him. 

Caitlin said, “You need to get Frost to admit what she’s done.” Without using his speed Barry was too slow to grab her arm as she marched past him, heading for her medical room. 

Barry flashed in front of her. “No, Caitlin wait, we don’t need to do that right now.”

“I do. I need answers,” she said and Barry’s face fell. If he wasn’t willing to stop her physically, then he couldn’t stop her.

"I interested to hear what she has to say too," Lisa added.

The others had gathered to watch, Cisco holding Lisa back with a hand on her arm. "Think we all would," Mick confirmed looking back at Sara for approval. Caitlin stormed over to the fridge, opening the freezer and placing her hand inside. Her dual personality was difficult to comprehend, but once she’d opened a dialogue with Killer Frost the two had developed a system for sharing their body. 

Caitlin reacted almost instantly to the cold temperature, her hair going icy grey as Killer Frost was called to the surface. Caitlin’s entire body seem to relax as the metahuman took control. When Killer Frost turned to face them she was smiling, unaware of the conversation they’d just had with Caitlin. 

“Hello, looks like you found some new friends Flash,” she said as she strolled past him, leaving him no choice but to follow, watching her size up the Rogues and Legends who were eagerly expecting answers. “So, what’d I do this time?” she asked gleefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> Getting very timey wimey here, because of the changes to the timeline I had to completely retcon Killer Frost to fit her in. Without Westallen, there's no Savitar and also no Killer Frost teaming up with the big villain against Team Flash. I wanted that to happen, so in my Universe, Killer Frost was revealed after Zoom arrived from Earth-2. I have no doubt he saw her as been disposable like the Killer Frost on his own Earth, and that led her to return to Team Flash.


	7. Some Inconvenient Truths

Barry remained silent, arms crossed, aiming for stern but just hoping he didn’t look terrified. No one wanted to speak, most of the others staring in shock at Caitlin’s alter-ego, and Cisco’s wide eyes jumping from face to face, looking for guidance on how to deal with this latest development. Barry shrugged at the other man. He had no idea what to do or say. Every question he wanted to ask too revealing, and he dreaded all the questions Killer Frost’s answers could raise.

Her interested gaze moved around the small group, before stopping at Mick Rory.

“Did you miss me hot stuff?” she smiled.

“Don’t know you Blue,” Mick responded gruffly.

“And I thought I made an impression,” Killer Frost pouted, ignoring the other’s shared glances. She had no idea the Legends in front of her are from an alternate timeline. Her familiarity with Mick seemed to suggest the two had met at some stage, another change to be added to Caitlin’s map.

Barry shook his head at the dawning realisation on Cisco’s face. Now was not the time to bring up the time travellers mission. It could be difficult enough to keep Frost on target without any unnecessary distractions.

Cisco nodded back before stepping in front of Caitlin’s alter ego. “Frosty, meet Golden Glider aka. Lisa Snart.” Cisco’s tone is unnaturally cheerful as Lisa glares at the metahuman. Her eyes are still red but her grief is put aside for the moment. “We think you might know her brother, Captain Cold.”

“I do,” she replied curtly. “And who’s this?” She pointed at Sara who was leaning casually against the console.

“Sara Lance. Time travelling assassin.”

Killer Frost inclined her head, in acknowledgement or respect for the other woman, before returning her gaze to the assembled crowd.

“It’s you, isn’t it? The person on the phone who never says anything,” Lisa’s question drew Killer Frost’s attention to her.

“Oh, I’ve always wondered what this was like, accused of something I didn’t do,” Frost laughed and tilted her head in Barry’s direction. “You going to defend my honour, Scarlet.”

“Just answer their questions. No one’s accusing you of anything.”

She groaned. “How about I tell you everything I’m allowed to say, and you guys can figure the rest out for yourselves?”

Barry’s eyebrows raised at the news that there was something, or someone keeping Killer Frost from telling the whole truth. He didn’t have time to agree to her terms before she moved further into the Cortex, stopping directly in front of Lisa. She never looked away from Lisa as she spoke, ignoring Cisco who stood beside the other woman and Mick at her back. Barry followed again, standing to one side.

“I know your brother, you could say that we run in some of the same circles,” she smiled at that and Barry was now convinced that he was doomed. She knew. “And I know who’s been calling you, but I’m not allowed to tell you his name.”

“Why the hell not?” Mick demanded.

“Same reason you and your Rogues aren’t allowed to know his name. Our mystery caller wants to remain mysterious. You’ve heard the rumours, I’m sure?”

Lisa scoffed, “none of them are true.”

“You’re right,” Frost smiled approvingly. “But I worked very hard to spread those stories, and I was paid handsomely for my work. If the truth gets out, it was all a waste. And there’s also the fact that your brother has promised to kill the person who tells that tale.”

“Snart said he’d kill you if you give up this guy’s name?” Mick asked.

Lisa rolled her eyes and Killer Frost turned on him next “Fairly sure he told you the same thing.”

“Don’t know about that, but what can you say without getting iced?”

Killer Frost’s eyes glittered with mischief as she pointed at Heatwave. “Oh, now you’re asking the right question. Let me think.”

Barry can’t help but roll his eyes as Killer Frost bit her lip, counting wordlessly on her fingers, obviously trying to think of a loophole in Leonard’s warnings. He knew it was all for show, Caitlin’s alter ego had always been prone to dramatics and loved a captive audience. She was the polar opposite to Caitlin who’d much prefer to stay out of the limelight.

“Well?” Lisa asked impatiently.

“Your brother has a lot of rules. Give me a minute,” Killer Frost responded dryly.

Cisco smirked at him until Lisa caught his eye. Both men knew that the Rogue’s interruption would just encourage Frost to take even more time. When she does speak, it was obvious to Barry that she’d thought through her words very carefully, and everything she said was technically the truth.

“I can tell you that the person on the other end of that line is the most powerful metahuman in Central City.” Cisco tried to interrupt but she held up one icy finger and continued quickly. “He’s dangerous but he just wants things to stay the way they are. He sees this city as a haven for metahumans, but it will only remain that way as long as none of us step out of line.”

Her eyes flicked to Barry and she shrugged. “That’s the way Snart sees it anyway. Says this guy has made it his mission to protect the metahumans, even his little gang of Rogues. He’ll protect us from the humans, the police and the metas too dangerous to control, like you Flash.”

Killer Frost was speaking to Barry, even as she stood before Lisa. She was reminding him of all his deal with Snart, at the exact moment he was relying on her help to keep his secrets. She wanted him to know that she knew, and Barry has no doubt that he’ll pay for her silence at some point in the future. Killer Frost had a very long memory, and she always demanded something in return for helping the Star Labs team.

“What’s this metahuman got on my brother?” Lisa demanded.

“Blackmail? No, you still don’t understand. They’re working together, very closely in fact. They’re partners in this,” Killer Frost giggles, and Sara lets out an indignant snort, shaking her head at the metahuman’s word. Barry can feel his face turning red.

“They’ve been keeping this city in line since the beginning, and sometimes, when it’s in my interest, I …help them.” Killer Frost appeared to physically struggle to say those last two words.

“Why?” Cisco asked in disbelief, just as Barry demanded, “when?!” He hoped his outburst doesn’t seem too much of a leap. He doesn’t want more eyes on him right now, but Killer Frost’s icy glare turned to Cisco instead.

“Cold actually asks for my help Cisco. He doesn’t just slap Caitlin across the face and point me at the nearest bad guy that needs icing. And he has actually thanked me for my information, because that’s what I bring to the table. I go to places you and your team of do-gooders have never heard of and I know people you wouldn’t want to meet on a cold night, but you’ve never once asked me for anything.”

“Sorry…” Cisco offered tentatively, stepping back from the metahuman, his eyes wide, but Killer Frost was already relaxing and turning her attention back to Barry.

“Anything else?”

“You’ve never met him,” Lisa stated bluntly. “This metahuman.”

“Yes and no. We’ve met, but he doesn’t know that I know his role in all this. He only recently discovered my affiliation with Cold.” Her eyes flicked to Barry again. She was enjoying this.

“And how exactly did you two end up working together? You’re not what Cold normally looks for in a partner.”

“And how would you know that? I work with him because it pays a hell of a lot more than rounding up metas for the CCPD.”

Cisco snorts. “That’s not what I meant,” Sara clarifies. “How did you meet Cold?

“I discovered his metahuman’s identity. Cold wanted me to keep quiet and I wanted to get paid. It’s that simple.”

“The most dangerous metahuman in Central City. Lenny’s willing to kill his own Rogues to keep anyone from learning his name. You really expect us to believe you just stumbled across his identity?” Lisa’s in the other woman’s space, staring down at her with contempt. Barry’s just glad to see her gold gun is holstered. He watches them with a hand over his mouth, horrified that Snart had kept this from him and terrified to discover just how much Frost knew.

“No, I stumbled upon Cold and him.”

“And my brother decided to make a deal instead of killing you?”

“I’d have liked to see him try.”

“The meta could kill you.”

Killer Frost laughed. “Let me be clear, if anyone in this City is untouchable, it’s me. Neither of them will can make a move against me, because I can destroy them. I know their secret, the image of those two is burned into the back of my eyes and I will never be able to unsee it. So, if anything happens to me, those pictures will be front page news.”

Barry’s heart stopped. He wanted to see those pictures. He wanted to demand how she’d found them, because the chances of her stumbling across their arrangement was infinitesimal. Instead he stood quiet and watched Lisa digest this new tidbit.

“Our mystery caller is Lenny’s fuck buddy?!” Lisa eventually sputtered. “Ooh I am going to kill him a second time.”

“You’re blackmailing Cold,” Cisco asked incredulously.

“I’m ensuring my own survival. What did she mean by kill him a second time?”

“The timeline has changed, we have no idea if he’s alive or dead right now,” Barry explained, glaring at the woman.

“Then we’re in a more precarious position than I thought,” she said, turning to Barry. “Your meta human victims, I know why they were murdered. They were all well known in the metahuman black market. They sold their skills or looked out for the ones not able to protect themselves. Now everyone’s scared, there’s a new player in town and they’re not afraid to kill other metas to make their point.”

“There’s a metahuman black market,” Cisco exclaimed.

“What does any of this have to do with my brother?” Lisa asked.

Killer Frost made a frustrated sound, her voice rising, as she explained the details that must have appeared so obvious to her. Barry remained quiet as she spoke. He didn’t have to feign surprise; he’d worried that Snart had built a small criminal empire under her watch, but this was so much worse.

“In the beginning, a few enterprising metahumans approached Snart for his help. He had criminal connections, capital and he wasn’t opposed to working with metas. Once people realised they could – monetize their new skills, the criminal underworld was only place they could do their business and Snart was the gatekeeper. There wouldn’t be a black market without him.”

“My brother let a metahuman black market operate in this city. Is that what our mystery caller is? His contact in this market?”

Frost turned to Barry’s confused red face, before looking back at Lisa. “Don’t think so. Your caller doesn’t seem to have any links to the market. He might not even know we exist.”

“What did he get in return?” Barry asked, his voice stronger than he thought it would be. Their interrogation was back on solid ground, everyone ignoring Frost’s scandalous remark.

“Allies,” Frost admitted easily. “People who owed him, willing to do little favours if asked.”

“Like you gave him information, about us? About what we’re doing here at Star Labs?”

“No, Cisco. Snart doesn’t care about your gadgets or your mission.”

“Then what?” Cisco asked, genuinely confused.

“I was his eyes and ears in the community. Sometimes he’d call about a metahuman who’d gone too far. I told him what I knew, and suddenly they were in Iron Heights, or they’ve been beaten by Team Flash, or they just,” she shrugs, “reconsidered their options after suffering a little frostbite. And I always got paid.”

“What happens if Leonard doesn’t come back?” Sara asked.

“Then Barry and his little team will find themselves in the middle of a metahuman war very soon. Now, question time is over. How pissed do you think Caity’s going to be?”

“You’re involved in an illegal black market, with a bunch of dangerous metahumans and criminals, she’s going to kill you,” Cisco exclaims loudly but Killer Frost only rolls her eyes.

“I’m not running anything. I just …contribute to my community.”

Barry nervously watched Sara approach him. He feigned interest in Cisco and Killer Frosts argument as the Legend moved to stand beside him, so close her hair brushed his arm as she leaned closer.

“I think we should compare timelines some more,” Sara said quietly. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have here, or anywhere Killer Frost might interrupt with salacious details.

Barry turned to her, and he nodded. “Yeah,” he said loudly. “That’s a good idea Sara.”

She was obviously confused as he turned to the others, “Me and Sara are going to look into the metahuman market. She has a contact from her time in the League. Might be useful.”

“Good idea Flash,” Lisa agreed, her voice steady and her eyes dry, angering at Leonard’s mounting lies overtaking her grief. “I’ll talk to the Rogues, see if anyone else has been keeping secrets for Lenny.”

“Want some muscle, Lise?” Mick offered.

“No Mick. You stay here, and make sure she doesn’t leave,” Lisa said, pointing directly at Killer Frost before storming out of the Cortex.

“Well if I have to have a babysitter…” Killer Frost purred as she draws one icy finger down Rory’s arm. The man jumped back from her touch and Cisco physically pulled her away, with warnings of Caitlin’s wrath.

“Hey Cisco, can you look into the River victims again? Look for any sudden change in their finances, or links to metahuman,” Barry doesn’t know the correct term, and finished lamely, “meeting places.”

“They’re called bars,” Frost offered helpfully. Cisco was already moving toward the console and bringing up a map of Central City.

“Okay,” he said turning to Sara, trying to sound enthusiastic, “we should probably get going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> Sorry, I meant to post this alongside chapter 6 as they're technically one long chapter I cut in half.


	8. Unstoppable Force Paradox

The apartment Barry flashes her into is small, dingy and obviously vacant. White sheets cover most of the furnishings, and they in turn are covered with a layer of dust, implying that no one has lived here recently. The Flash moved forward confidently, pulling the sheets from the couches, using them to wipe down the small coffee table. He motioned for her to sit, but she remained standing as he flashed around the apartment.

“What is this place?” she asked when he finally came to a halt beside her. 

“Empty,” Barry says succinctly. 

Sara sat on the couch. Barry stood for a few moments, jaw tight once he’d pulled down his cowl. He takes the chair on her right, leaning forward, elbows on his knees and head bowed. He looked tired. As he didn’t seem willing to say anything, Sara started.

“What that woman said, about you and Snart, is it true?”

“Everything Killer Frost said today was news to me too,” he said bitterly.

That was not the kind of answer Sara expected from Barry Allen. It was extremely vague, not a definitive yes or no, and delivered with no outward sign of emotion. This was not the fumbling forensic scientist Ollie and Ray had told her about. 

“Do you think she was telling the truth?” Sara asked, her brows drawing together as she watched this version of the Flash closely. 

He leaned back and shrugged, appearing unconcerned, “we’ll have to wait and see.” Another terse answer. Barry was unwilling to offer anything more, and Sara exhaled in frustration. Why bring her here at all, if he had no intention of answering any of her question? _So his friends wouldn’t overhear_ , she realised. 

“You mean, you’re going to wait until the other Legends show up and then you’ll ask Len,” she knew her words sounded like an accusation. They were. “You’d believe him over someone on your own team.”

He snorted, shaking his head as his eyes finally met Saras. “Killer Frost isn’t on anyone’s team. She works for herself.”

“Really? Cause fifteen minutes ago, you were telling us all how she helped your team with some evil speedster named Zoom. Which is it Barry?”

Barry grimaced, caught in a lie. “Before she helped us,” Barry took a breath before continuing, “she took complete control of Caitlin and helped Zoom destroy the CCPD building.” 

Sara frowned at that, stunned and angry, chewing over this new information carefully. This wasn’t going the way she’d planned, Barry unwilling to help her understand, offering nothing in exchange for her silence. She didn’t want to out his role in Snart’s rise but thought the threat would at least get her some honest answers. 

“When me and Len hooked up, I got the feeling he was running away from something,” she said quietly, 

“That isn’t a question Sara,” Barry bit out, leaning forward. 

She rolled her eyes, “Barry, you sound more like a criminal been interrogated right now than the hero of Central City.”

He threw his hands up in the air, turning away before glaring back at her. “What do you expect Sara? You know how far I went to keep Snart out of jail, to help him build his criminal network, all because I thought he knew the future.”

“I have no idea how far you went Barry,” Sara pointed out, exasperated and convinced Barry was still trying to mislead her. “I know you’re the metahuman who helped him. You called his sister, right? But you didn’t contact Killer Frost, you had no idea about her part in this.”

He nodded, adding, “and I have no idea what this metahuman black market is.”

“Okay, so all I want to know Barry, is what do you think Killer Frost had on Len? Because I believe she was blackmailing him with something. His sister goaded her until she revealed more than she wanted to say. That seemed pretty obvious to me.”

His nostrils flared as she spoke. She’d hit another nerve, but Sara couldn’t tell if the Speedster was angry at Killer Frost or Leonard. The implication that the metahuman knew about his ties to the criminal underworld, had appeared to shock Barry more than necessary in the Labs. Sara was fairly certain she knew what his response meant, but she wanted to hear him confirm it.

“Maybe she was saying something outrageous to distract us? You don’t know what Killer Frost is like.”

“Neither do you! You didn’t even know she was working with Len,” she exclaimed, sighing as Barry rubbed his hands over his face. 

“I don’t care that you broke the law to make your city a safer place Barry. Oliver does that every night he pulls up his hood, and I’ve done things far worse than you or Snart have. I care that your city is now in danger. Len was so concerned with protecting you, he lied to his own family and you’re so worried about keeping your secrets, you can’t see that this city is in danger.”

Barry’s jaw clenched, his lips a grim line. “We’ll find this killer, before anymore metahumans get hurt,” he promised.

“But you won’t risk your secrets to do it, will you? You’d drag me halfway across town, before you’d talk to me. You’re hiding things from your team, and that’s putting everyone in danger.”

“I don’t have any more secrets Sara,” Barry sounded exasperated. “Not from you, you know everything now.” 

“Then answer one more question for me. Were you sleeping with Len?”

Barry’s eyes darted away, his mouth worked but he was taking his time to answer her. “Why do you keep calling him that?” he asked instead. “Len. Not Leonard, or Snart, or Cold.”

“Because it’s his name.” He glared at her for a split second before looking away again. 

“I didn’t call him that. Once we started – Snart seemed too impersonal, so I called him Leonard, or Cold.”

She huffed a laugh, leaning back. “Yeah he liked to think he was a cold-hearted bastard in my time as well, wasn’t the truth though.” 

“No, it wasn't,” Barry murmured.

“Barry, I won’t tell anyone. I’ll be gone in a few days and anything you say – I’ll keep your secret. I just need to know, for myself.” 

“Why?”

“Because I love him too.”

“I didn’t – We weren’t like that,” he eventually said. 

“But, you were …together?” she asked softly, needing to hear him say it. 

Barry nodded, tears falling easily now. “Guess I have you to thank for that,” he sneers. “Another new addition to the timeline.”

Sara closed her eyes, dread building in her as he spoke. “Barry, you don’t – 

“He lied to me Sara, lied about the future and my role in it, got me to trust him and – I don’t know what’s true anymore. He was only interested in me because of you.”

Sara said nothing. She remembered when Snart had returned from a successful heist with the Flash in Central City. He’d been so hostile and twisted up in angry knots. She’d untied them all with well-placed strikes, rough kisses and finally gentle hands. They’d lain side by side, sweaty and sated, before he admitted the truth. 

Captain Cold had feared everything Barry now dreaded. He hated the Flash that night, because he’d manipulated him, used him, and left Len with the certainty that Captain Cold would not survive the Legends mission. He would be dead by 2016. Sara had tried to calm his fears, dragging him off to his sister’s next birthday and helping him drink his troubles away, but it hadn’t worked.

She should have listened to her gut instinct, left him in that time and none of them would be here right now. But then the Time Masters would have won, Vandal Savage probably defeating them. And Leonard Snart would never have been anyone’s idea of a hero. She could never have done that, but a tiny part of her wishes she had. 

Now faced with the Flash’s grief, she can’t even taunt him with his own hypocrisy. A different version of Barry Allen used and manipulated a very different Captain Cold, to save the woman he loved. Sara groaned inwardly. She really shouldn’t be surprised he’d lie to his friends and allies to protect Len. It made sense, he was still the man he had always been, willing to do whatever it took to protect the people he loved. 

She had no doubt that the Sara Lance from this timeline had been lied to by Leonard Snart as well, imagining an awkward introduction where he’d held her gaze too long. She shuddered to think what consequences that foreknowledge could have had. He knew her face, her uniform and last time he saw her, she’d left him unconscious on the floor of a loading bay. Sara can’t imagine the impact that first meeting had on their own relationship.

How will her future self take the news? Sara knew she would probably wrestle with the same concerns Barry had right now, except she won’t have anyone from the former timeline to compare notes with. Maybe Barry will whisk her away to this abandoned apartment and explain it all. She sighed, turning her eyes by to the speedster.

“Think Snart always had a thing for you,” Barry’s wet eyes focused on her again. “He had a thing for superheroes in leather, sure, but the Rogues used to tease him, about you. They thought he was obsessed.”

“How could you know that?” he demanded.

“I drank with them, but if you don’t believe me, talk to Mick. He can be a bit oblivious about… interpersonal relationships, but he knew Snart better than anyone.” 

Barry huffed, wiping away his tears angrily, “it’s bad enough you know.”

“Mick walked in on me and Len once, on Ray’s work station,” Barry’s eyebrows raised, “He got whatever he was looking for, and left without a word. Mick has no time for spreading other people’s business. He likes his own privacy too much, not to value others.”

Barry swallowed, “glad to know some things haven’t changed.”

It took Sara a moment but then she laughed. “So, you’ll trust Heatwave but not your friends?”

“Heatwave thinks my name is Sam, and I’m really good at cracking safes.”

“Like Leonard needs help in that department.” Barry shrugged, sniffed back some more tears. “Seriously Barry, you can’t keep going like this? It’s not healthy and people are going to find out.”

“You and your Leonard did the exact same thing.”

“Yeah but we were on the same team.”

“So were – I thought we were too.”

“I’m sorry Barry. I’m sorry that you’re going through this right now. We tried to be careful, with the timeline, but we needed to confirm things had changed. I needed to know he was alive, and its selfish, but – I need to see him,” she finished haltingly. 

“Don’t apologise for that. I wouldn’t change – I needed to know.”

“But you never would have known if we hadn’t turned up and told you. Caitlin’s plan to map the timeline is a good one," she admitted. "If we went too far, maybe it should be changed back. I’d never do it, not while there’s a chance he’ll survive, but you can.”

Barry shook his head. “I’m done messing with the timeline.” 

Sara looked at the other time traveller knowingly, nodded. “Put him through hell when he gets back.”

Barry exhaled loudly, leaning back into his seat. “I don’t know how we can continue now, with any of it, but that’s a problem for - when he is back.”

Sara agreed, but didn’t have any words to offer in conciliation. “Can you promise me one thing Barry? When the Legends return, I need to be there, and I need to speak to him while I can.”

Barry's eyes were still wet with tears when he looked at her. He face was so full of pity, it made Sara's stomach clench. "Of course, Sara. You deserve that much. I wouldn't - " His voice broke off, and Barry looked away. Sara didn't press him, waiting while the other fought back yet more tears, trying to compose himself. 

"Do you have any questions for me," Sara asked quietly. He looked almost hesitant as he turned back to her, and Sara can't help feeling that she was going to regret her offer. 

 

[…]

 

Sara returned to Star Labs to find Mick standing in the doorway of the Cortex. She joined him in watching the doctor, Caitlin Snow. Sara turned to Mick with her brows drawn together but he was staring at Snow with an unnerving intensity and didn’t appear to notice.

“You alright Mick?”

“Shhh, they’re talking,” he said it with such reverence, but Sara can’t hear anything in the silence of the Labs. 

She watched Caitlin step back from the whiteboard, returning to the console she swapped her marker for a – bowl of slowly melting ice? She placed her hand against the bowl and the transformation was gradual, the slow silver creep of frost up her arm until Sara met the glowing blue eyes of Killer Frost. She smirked at them before picking up a different marker and returning to the board. The meta made a soft noise upon reading Caitlin’s comment, and then began composing her reply.

“What do you think that’s like?” Mick asked. He turned to her, but she just looked blank, unsure what he was asking. “Part of you been someone else,” he continued, turning back to look at Killer Frost.

Her writing was cursive and elegant, whereas the Doctor’s writing was all sharp lines, block letters.

“Sounds like family,” Sara answered softly.

Mick guffawed. “They definitely fight like family,” he said, watching the metahuman punctuate her point with a line of exclamation marks. 

“She seemed to know you.”

“Not me. The other guy,” Mick conceded easily. “He’s a lucky bastard.”

Sara’s eyes widened but she didn’t respond. This wasn’t what she’d come to Mick for. She had enough timeline drama as it was. 

“Allen is going to talk to you.”

“Who?!”

“Jeez Mick, the Flash,” Sara rolled her eyes at Mick’s selective memory. “He wants to know what you remember about Central City, from your past.” 

“Huh, what’s the point in that? It’s not his past anymore. We changed it, all of it.”

“Answer his questions,” she ordered quietly, “and Mick, I don’t want to hear one word of what you say to him. Okay? I don’t want to know.”

“Sure thing, boss.” She cocked her head at his comment. Mick had never called her that before. It sounded strange, and she didn't like the implication that she knew what she was doing. 

Mick had trusted her judgement from the beginning, trusting her to carry out the plan and do what needed to be done. He used to have the same confidence in Leonard and his heists. Len had always been single minded on missions, even while looking for something to steal on the side. He never lost sight of their goal, and she couldn't either. They were so close to achieving what they'd set out to do, saving Len, bringing him home. Sara couldn't second guess her decision to alter the time line, but she was filled with dread at the thought of meeting Leonard Snart again, fearful that the man she knew was dead. A different Snart was coming to Central City.


	9. Reunions

The second Waverider appeared three days after the first. The Flash had been patrolling Central City, paying particular attention to the areas and businesses he now recognised as serving Central City’s metahuman population. Sara couldn’t sleep and had joined Cisco and Caitlin in the Cortex, to look over the new timeline changes identified because of Killer Frost’s contribution, when the alert sounded. She watched as Cisco jumped from his seat, quickly explaining what was happening over the Flash comms.

“Oh man, is that -? Yep. Barry the Legend’s ship is here. Well another one. They’re circling over Star Labs and beginning their descent to the car park. Again.”

Sara was out of her own seat and running out of the Labs before they could stop her. Rip in a last ditch attempt to maintain control over his team, had stressed the dangers of meeting their future selves in this altered timeline. He wanted them to hang back and be cautious. Anything could walk out of that ship. The Time Masters could have been victorious, or maybe more of the team had perished in the fight. And he really didn’t want them giving their other selves any ideas about changing the course of history.

Sara couldn’t give a damn what Rip wanted or thought was best. He knew the man still held hope; that seeing the changes they’d wrought on the timeline, they’d want to change it back. She couldn’t care less about the changes. So, Snart had used her message to twist the Flash into his plaything and consolidate his power. It didn’t matter; not if he survived.

She needed to see him. She needed to know her plan had worked, while she had time. She ran down the corridor, past Jax and Ray in their makeshift dormitory. She heard someone shouting behind her, but she kept going, the sound of boots behind her fading as she ran up the stairs.

She pushed open the back door to the lab to see the Waverider, just touching down on the asphalt. The Flash was there already. He held her back as she moved towards the ship.

“Just wait Sara.”

“I’m not going to hide until this is over.”

“I know. I’m not trying to stop you, just wait. This is going to be a big enough shock for whoever comes out of that ship.”

Caitlin walked out the door of the lab, tablet in hand, already launching into her assessment of the situation. “This ship has the exact same energy signature as the first Waverider,” she explained. “But whoever’s piloting it, didn’t cloak their approach. Thank god they’re arriving at night or half the city would have just saw a spaceship flying overhead.”

“So, we can assume you aren’t piloting this Waverider?” Barry asked as he turned to an out of breath Rip Hunter.

“Ah, definitely not.” The Captain looked dishevelled, gaping at the second ship. He’d started sleeping in his clothes, same as Sara. Both of them determined to be the first to meet the new arrivals. Sara half terrified that they’d never appear. Rip praying for the same.

The other Legends weren’t far behind him. Ray and Jax both look anxious. Stein resigned himself to the decision made over the last few days, but he still didn’t approve. He’d explained to Sara, that he didn’t want to be present for the arrival of their duplicates. He didn’t want to know the full extent of what they’d done. Ray and Jax were still as determined as the first night they met to discuss their plans. Jax was practically bouncing on his feet as he watched the ship draw closer.

“Piloting a time ship isn’t as difficult as you’d think,” Ray pointed out.

“Then why’d we keep crashing.” Mick arrived with a beer in each hand. He looked tired, the only one of them who’d managed to get any sleep the last two nights. At least, he’d remembered to throw on a his clothes and boots before joining them outside.

As the hanger bay door lowered, Sara couldn’t take her eyes off the ship. She ignored the muttering behind her. She ignored the Flash beside her and it seemed like he’s forgotten about her too. He’d let her arm go, and now it just hung loosely at her side. She didn’t rush forward. Her earlier enthusiasm gone as she watched another Ray Palmer and Martin Stein walk towards them.

They stopped when they saw the crowd gathered before them.

“What’s going on?” other Ray asked.

“It’s a long story,” her Ray called back. No one offered any further explanation. She wanted to ask, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. They stuck in her throat and she tried to swallow past the lump as her teammates came towards them.

“The timeline is resetting,” the Flash tried to explain. “Something changed. And – it’s complicated.”

Sara knew the look she gave Barry was unkind. Surely a time travelling speedster could do better than that. He shrugged but it was Caitlin who stepped in.

“It seems that a change to the timeline has resulted in temporal duplication. Could you tell us what time period you have just come from?”

“What? I thought we won. The Time Masters are gone.” Stein’s words set Sara at ease. This was right. These were the Legends after they’d just blown up the Oculus. Except in the timeline she remembered, the team never had a reason to visit Team Flash after their victory. It was months before they returned to Central City or Star City. Something had changed. 

She wasn’t the only one relieved. “Oh thank God, that still happened. Well at least this isn’t a complete disaster,” Rip interjected. She couldn’t blame him for been so angry at her, but Sara was anxious now watching Jax and Mick file out of the ship. They both looked equal parts confused and annoyed by this turn of events. Sara remembered the moments after the Oculus explosion; the relief, the grief and then the sour realisation that their mission wasn’t over.

Unsurprisingly, it Mick’s duplicate who realised what had happened first. “Oh, it’s time for the big reveal, isn’t it? Time to meet the man behind the curtain.” Sara noticed how his eyes were narrowed, glaring at Barry’s face. The Flash stood there with his cowl down, his mouth a thin line as he resolutely avoided looking towards the Mick from this timeline. It looked like Heatwave would be keeping another one of Len’s secrets, at least for a little longer. 

His other self, her Mick, tossed him the unopened beer bottle and set him straight. “Woman.” Sara whipped her head around to see him pointing at her.

Mick’s duplicate tipped his head in acknowledgement. “Always knew you were one of the crazy ones Lance.”

She tried and failed to stop the grin that spread across her face. He knew and now he was looking back at the hangar door in expectation. She failed to stop that hope from rising up again. She has changed so much in this timeline, and it will all be worth it, just as soon as that punctual bastard finally showed up. He’s grandstanding, that’s all, she told herself. Waiting in the wings for his big entrance.

“Could someone please explain what is going on here?” Professor Stein asked.

“Yeah, cause if Mick thinks it’s a good idea, we’re probably not going to like it,” Jax added. Their Mick grunted but didn’t reply, raising the bottle without another comment. 

No one was willing to offer an explanation, as the two Legends teams faced each other with Flash and Caitlin stood like helpless referees in the middle.

“We should probably wait until the rest of your crew joins us,” Caitlin suggested.

Mick smirked, “Captain won’t be joining us.” 

Sara didn’t miss the way Stein grimaced before adding, “Captain Hunter sustained a head injury but he’s fine. Just sleeping it off in the medbay.”

“My other self was injured during the battle with the Time Masters?” Rip questioned.

The other Legends shared an all too familiar look, and Sara’s shoulders sagged. It made sense, Rip wouldn’t have agreed to come to Central City of his own free will. Especially not if he had any inkling of what was about to occur. 

“Yeah, injured in the battle.” Jax jumped a little too quickly to confirm that plausible explanation for Hunter’s absence. Any more questions about his whereabouts were easily ignored though, as Sara watched herself stroll out of the hanger bay. 

“Jeez, who died?” her other self asked as she walked towards the group, still in her Canary uniform.

“No one.” 

Well he always did have a flair for the dramatic. She wanted to roll her eyes as he strolled out of the ship, cold gun still held loosely in one hand, smirking. She couldn’t. She was too genuinely happy.

He scanned the assembled crowd, searching each face as he walked towards them. Sara ignored how his gaze paused on Barry, before he found her face in the crowd. His team mates seemed bored with his theatrics, much more concerned with their doubles, and Rip was still asking for details on his duplicate’s injuries. But Sara could hear the mutterings behind her. Caitlin’s quiet “Oh my.” Jax’s whooping cheer, and Ray’s laugh. They’d done it. They’d saved him. Sara’s eyes grew wet even as she grinned at the approaching thief. He was here, but she didn’t have long. 

The younger Legends in front of her turned to Snart, wondering why his entrance had gotten such a reaction. He ignored their questions, zeroing in on her as if she was the only one who mattered. He stopped only feet from her, relaxed and confident, holstering his gun as he spoke.

“Suppose you’re expecting a thank you.”

“But I’m not going to get one, am I?” she replied, wiping her tears away as she moved towards him.

“Well your message was a little vague. Could have just said you wanted to save a devilishly handsome thief.”

She couldn’t help the grin that took over her face. She ran her hands over his chest, down his arms. There were new tears in her eyes as she pulled him close. She hugged him before pulling back to kiss him, uncaring of their assembled audience.

He was rigid then, his lips still under hers, not returning her kiss. His gentle hands on her arms pushed her back so he could look at her face. And that’s when she saw his wide eyes blinking down at her. His jaw clenched, uncomfortably chewing over his words.

“Well that was unexpected.”

“I thought you’d be used to me saving your life by now,” she joked, hoping for a laugh. It didn’t come, and she went cold. Her hands dropped from his chest, but he didn’t let go of her. Keeping her at arm’s length.

“Ahh no, not that.”

“You mean we never – ”, she stuttered.

“I didn’t think I was your type Lance.”

It was her other self that answered. “I didn’t think I was yours, Cold.”

Sara looked at her doppelganger over his shoulder. She looked confused but with her legs set and arms loose at her side, she was ready for a fight. She didn’t recognise this Sara Lance who would run to Len, she didn’t recognise herself. And that, more than her words, was the knife that left Sara cold. She knew this could happen. A part of her had expected it, after her conversation with Barry.

“Mmmm well, you never asked.” He spoke to her double while still looking at the Sara Lance in his arms, like she was an interesting development. Something entirely unexpected. He was here but he wasn’t her Leonard anymore.

“I didn’t?” She tried to step back, but he held her in place, his hands on her arms, not as gentle as she remembered. It was not a rejection. It was not a betrayal but the realisation of what she’d done left her shaking her head. She knew it was a possibility, but she hadn’t prepared for it.

“It’s alright Lance. There’s a first time for everything,” he said.

_And a last._

She said nothing. She couldn’t say those words and there were tears blurring her vision. A distant part of her mind knew. They were always going to end this way. 

A glass shattered behind her. She turned her head and Mick, her Mick, was no longer there. Rip was gone as well. It was happening. Time resetting. It seemed more violent and sudden than that day on the battlefield, when they’d fought the Legion. The exclamations of shock, Caitlin’s explanations, Barry’s comforting words all dimmed as the reality set in.

She closed her eyes and tears were falling now in earnest. She couldn’t hold them back. Leonard’s arms were holding her in place, holding her up. He tugged, pulling her around to face him again. He knew they hadn’t got long.

“I’m sorry.” It was the first thing she said, and it was the wrong thing. They never apologised to one another.

“Don’t,” he demanded. “You did a good thing Lance. You forced me to up my game, play in the big leagues. And now you’ve shown me a life I’d have been lucky to live, even if it was short.”

He pulled her close, and it was her turn to push back.

“No. No, Len. I don’t need you fucking pity. I need you to listen.”

“Len,” he repeated with a raised brow, but he let her go.

“Shut up,” she muttered and it’s so like they used to be. So familiar. “This is important. You have to give up the mission. Promise me, Len. It’s not worth it. Don’t you dare get back on that ship.”

“Okay.” He was placating her. That was new.

“I mean it. You’ve stolen enough baubles from the past. It’s time to put your feet up, go back to running your bar and planning a heist every few months. Please Len, promise me.”

“I promise.”

He pulled her close for one last chaste kiss and she doesn’t have the strength to push him back.

He looked her right in the eye, “I’m a man of my word Sara. I’m staying right here.”

She closed her eyes in relief and hugged him close. His solid warmth was comforting. It was worth it. If he stayed here, she knew he’d be happy, he’d be loved and most importantly, he’d be alive. This was enough.

“Don’t be a better man, Len. Just fucking don’t.”

They were Sara’s last words before she disappeared.

 

[…]

 

After Sara disappeared, Barry turned to the only remaining Legend from the team that’d spent the last three nights in Star Labs. Jax stood tall, his earlier smiles and celebrations forgotten. He looked directly at Leonard, “We don’t leave any of the team behind, never again.” 

The other Legends didn’t shrink as he stared at each of them in turn and then he was gone too, and it was left to Barry and Caitlin to explain what had happened. He looked helplessly at Caitlin, holding her tablet like a shield, eyes wide and looking to him. He sighed before turning back to the time travellers. There was no easy way to explain what had just happened, and Leonard’s refusal to look at him, combined with Mick’s accusing glare, only served to make him feel more pressure. He ignored them for now, knowing Leonard wouldn’t say anything and hoping Mick would follow his lead. 

“The other Legends, they changed the timeline.”

“You don’t say,” Sara drawled. She even sounded like Leonard in this timeline. Barry swallowed his bitterness and tried to soldier on, but he had already lost the group’s attention. 

“On purpose?” Stein was indignant. “We have spent the last few months trying desperately to maintain the timeline. Why would our team ever undertake such a dangerous and ill-advised strategy?”

“It does sound like something we would do,” Ray added unhelpfully.

“Yeah, but we usually fuck up the timeline completely by accident,” Jax said.

“Or by not following instructions,” Sara pointed out. 

“Listen it’s a long story,” Barry began, hands raised trying to placate the irate Legends, or at the very least draw their attention back to him. Leonard finally looked at Barry then, his head tilted and jaw tight, obviously unhappy with Barry’s explanation. 

“She did it to save my life.” Leonard finally joined the conversation, turning in an almost theatrical twirl to face his teammates. 

“We should probably talk about this inside,” Barry interjected before the team could begin squabbling again. 

“Yes, we have an incomplete timeline from the other Legends that might help you –” Caitlin’s words falter as Leonard turned to glare at both Barry and her. He settled on Barry, his stare cold and unflinching. 

“I don’t think so, Flash,” Captain Cold drawled. Barry’s jaw tightened, unsure if the other man was acting or genuinely displeased. He hadn’t expected to return to their personas quite so soon. “I know exactly what happened here, and I don’t particularly want to dwell on it.”

“We need to map how Sara – other Sara’s changes to the timeline have affected all of – ” 

“No Barry, you want to do that. Whereas I want and need a very strong drink.” Leonard turned and walked away from the crowd. Barry huffed at the stubbornness of the other man, who would prefer to walk halfway across the city than have a conversation. Barry must have made some move to follow him, because Caitlin suddenly gripped his arm, holding him back, even though he hadn’t taken one step forward. 

“Think I’ll join ya.” Mick turned to follow Snart, but not before letting his glare linger on Barry’s uncovered face. 

“Let them go Barry,” Caitlin whispered. “They just need some time, Snart especially. I think Sara told him more than enough about the other timeline for one night.”

Barry nodded, but remained silent as Caitlin convinced the rest of the team to join them inside. He told himself it didn’t matter. Snart’s dismissal was just him following the script, and Barry knew he could find him later. He was still sullen and angry as Caitlin explained how Leonard Snart had died to save all of them. Suddenly the Legends were all sombre, realising maybe for the first time, the risks they’d taken on their mission through time. 

Beyond that Team Flash had very few answers for them tonight. Cisco and Caitlin explained their strategy for mapping the timeline, and the limitations of that strategy. They refused to just give out the detailed accounts they had of the other team’s mission, making plans to instead collect similar reports from the team that had just arrived. While everyone wanted to know if there were any repercussions, no one was willing to risk the timeline by possibly disclosing dangerous foreknowledge. 

Barry suggested that they reconvene at the Labs tomorrow, as there wasn’t much more they could do tonight. He was well aware of the late hour, and eager to find Leonard before he got too drunk. 

“No,” Cisco practically shouted, his voice whining as he raised his head to glare at Barry. “No. Just no. I’m sorry guys, but I’ve been here since 11am yesterday morning. I’m tired, I’m sleep deprived and I need a day off, just one day off, before dealing with …another Legends team invading my cortex.”

The others looked shocked at his outburst, but Caitlin shrugged, agreeing that, “it has been an intense few days.”

Barry was more than happy to postpone their work until the day after tomorrow, and the Legends also appeared to appreciate the break. They had just walked away from a dangerous battle with the Time Masters, and now that the adrenaline of their victory had passed, no one seemed eager to dwell on the consequences of their successful mission. 

They were happy to have survived their mission without losing a team mate, but no one seemed overly anxious to discover how their lives were different in this new timeline. Instead they were happy to return to the ship, making plans to call family and friends. Barry frowned when he heard Sara say something about untying Captain Hunter. He sighed, unwilling to question her on that remark. It appeared that Sara Lance had changed very little in this timeline. 

“Barry,” Caitlin’s soft voice dragged his attention away from the others. “I noticed a sharp change in your vitals on patrol tonight. It’s probably nothing, but I think we should run some routine tests before you go home.”

Barry could think of no reasonable reason to refuse, and so found himself sitting on the medical bed while Caitlin grabbed her equipment. He glared at the clock on the wall, coming up on 1am. It felt like tonight would never end. 

“I think you should know,” Caitlin began as she prepared to take a blood sample, rolling his sleeve up and swabbing the area clean, out of habit rather than necessity. “I’ve been …growing closer to Killer Frost. Our memories, feelings they’re bleeding together. I can’t remember anything solid, but I know when she goes out she’d not alone, she’s somewhere warm and loud. I have to trust her, Barry, and I do.”

The sharp sting of the needle causes Barry to hiss, but he unsure how to respond. It’s so rare for Caitlin to talk about her alter ego, that he isn’t sure what the etiquette is. 

“I know that when she’s out there, she might hurt people or break the law, but I trust Frost enough to know she can reign herself in. She hasn’t killed anyone, and she’s doing what she thinks is best, for herself, but also for me.”

“Okay, I suppose we all have to trust her now that she wants to help us catch the metahuman killer.”

“I trust you too Barry, whatever you’ve done, I know you had the best intentions.” 

Barry’s brow was already furrowed from the unusual direction this conversation had taken, but he sucked in a breath at the realisation Caitlin knows something, or she thinks she does. He watched her closely as she removed the needle, placing the sample on the tray and moving back to remove her gloves. 

“I don’t know what you mean.”

When she turned back to face him, she was smiling, her eyes soft with concern. “I watched the security tapes Barry. Frost wasn’t subtle. She was practically laughing at you.”

“You think – What do you think?”

“It doesn’t matter. I just want you to know that I’m here to talk, if you ever need someone.”

“Of course, I know that Caitlin, but – Whatever you think Killer Frost said about me, or whatever she might have hinted at, it’s not what you’re thinking.” Barry really hoped that wasn’t a lie. He’s hesitant to leave now, wary of rushing out the door when Caitlin might suspect exactly where he’s going. 

Barry looked out into the Cortex, dark now that everyone had left. The Legends gone back to their ship, and Cisco probably already halfway home, there’s no one to overhear them. 

He wondered briefly, if he should tell Caitlin, tell her everything he had done and then – what? Seek her absolution? Advice? It seemed unthinkable. She couldn’t have figured it out, and she didn’t deserve to be burdened with his crimes as well as Killer Frosts.

He turned back to see Caitlin reaching into her handbag, left unobtrusively to one side of the cabinet. She was taking something out of her bag, and as she turned he saw a small cardboard box in her hands. His eyebrows rose even further when she offered it to him, like a badly wrapped present. 

“What’s this?”

“A message, from Killer Frost. Apparently, you owe her.”

“I don’t know why – ”

“Yes, you do Barry. You know exactly what’s going on here, but you don’t want to tell me.” Caitlin sounded exasperated as she swung her handbag over her arm. “You don’t need to tell me the truth, just don’t lie to me. Now I’m going to go home too, get some actual sleep, and I’m here Barry. If you ever want to talk, me and Cisco are here for you.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Barry eventually stuttered out when she was already hallway to the door. 

“Maybe not, but you need to talk to someone.”

“I will,” Barry promised.

Caitlin nodded, her eyes so full of concern again that Barry had to look away. She had walked out the door when she turned back suddenly, remembering. “Oh Barry, could you throw that sample into the medical waste on your way out?” 

Barry grinned, nodding his head in assent. It seemed he wasn’t the only person with secrets, and tonight, Caitlin had shown herself to be more capable of subterfuge than he could have imagined. He sat there holding the roughly sealed box awkwardly in his hands long after Caitlin had left. Suddenly unsure of what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> Another long chapter, and I'm so sorry. If you're here for Captain Canary, their story is always tragic but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking. I loved their dynamic in season 1 LoT. 
> 
> Also **Minor trigger warning** for technical character deaths, as the Legends from the now defunct timeline will disappear when their doubles arrive. 
> 
> While writing this chapter, I realised that there's more continuity errors in this fic than in a LoT episode, but... enjoy!


	10. Hang On or Let Go

He found Leonard in the first place he looked. 

The bar at Saints was packed with familiar faces; Lisa and Mick, the Rogues and even a few Legends were there. They were smiling and drinking as Barry ran past. He paused, the bar’s customers still frozen in place, to look at a tattered old banner hanging over the tables where some of his favourite enemies were drinking. 

The lettering was faded, and the previously white background had been smudged and stained. It was obviously old, well worn, but that was not made Barry pause. Underneath the words _Welcome Home_ , someone had scrawled the words, _‘from prison’_ , only for them to be crossed out and replaced with, _‘from the dead’_. Barry guessed that was a recent addition. 

Leonard wasn’t in the front bar celebrating. Barry searched the entire building, finding him in the back office, pouring over papers that flew up and fluttered around him as Barry stopped in front of his desk. Leonard stared at him blankly, an eyebrow raised in disapproval, waiting. 

“So, I hear you own this place? Which is funny, cause you always leave me with the bill.” That got him a smile, at least. 

“What else did you hear?”

“Too much,” Barry admitted, falling into the seat opposite. It had been easy to hold onto his anger when he’d feared the other man was dead and not coming back. Now, face to face, Barry felt all that energy drain away. He still wanted answers and was reasonably certain he would eventually get the truth from Leonard, but he didn’t want to fight. Not yet. 

Leonard only nodded, looking away from Barry at the scattered papers but he doesn’t move to pick them up. He leaned further back in his chair, looking more tired than Barry could ever remember seeing him. 

“Did you tell her?” he eventually asked. 

“No,” Barry said quickly. “She figured it out on her own and, Killer Frost helped.”

Leonard eyes snapped up to him so quickly it surprised Barry. It shouldn’t have. He always guarded his secrets, even from Barry it seemed. He was supposed to be angry about that, Barry remembered vaguely. Leonard had connections to the metahuman black market, and he’d been working with Killer Frost. Two secrets he kept from Barry despite their agreement. 

He couldn’t summon the indignation that Leonard’s continued glare seemed to warrant. The other man was searching his face for any hint that Barry knew the truth. He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head at the absurdity of their relationship. It had always been like this, but he’d never realised. Captain Cold had always known more than he did, just not about the future. His secrets were rooted firmly in the present that they were both responsible for creating. 

“It was so strange,” Barry eventually continued. “Sara turned up saying you were dead and all I could think was maybe. Maybe you died out there and no one thought to tell me. Which, I know, makes sense but it just – hurt.” 

“Please don’t. Just don’t. I don’t need this right now.”

“You – You don’t need this. I’ve been dealing with those people all weekend.”

“I know, but we can’t do this here,” he hissed. “Not now.” 

Barry sighed. He knew Leonard was right. Cold can’t be seen chatting to one of the CCPD’s forensic scientists, and Barry can’t be seen at the bar. They’d been so careful before the Legends mission, making sure that their public personas never slipped around friends and family. 

But that was then, and Barry was less willing to follow the rules when it was clear their relationship was built on a lie, a false prophecy of the future that allowed Snart to build an empire with the dangerous criminals currently drinking in his bar. With most of the metahumans in the city already owing him favours, Captain Cold was untouchable. The silence dragged on, Barry unwilling to leave even though he knows he should. 

“I can come by the apartment in an hour, maybe two. It’s going to be hard to brush them off tonight, especially Lisa,” Leonard eventually offered. 

Barry huffed out another bitter laugh. The prospect of secretly meeting up like they used to, at the apartment that had over the course of almost two years become theirs, reminded him of his anger. This man had lied to him, might have manipulated him, but it was the reality of hiding their relationship that now made Barry seethe. 

“Barry, I’m sor – ”

“Don’t,” Barry interrupted him. “I think you have a lot to be sorry for, but not this. We’re both responsible for this.”

He stood, looking around the small office, looking anywhere but at Leonard. “Enjoy your party. Come by whenever you’re done.”

Barry left before Leonard could respond, running past Lisa in the hallway. She had a bottle and two glasses in hand, and she was stood directly outside the door, frozen in time as he ran past her. Barry grimaced, knowing Leonard won’t be home anytime in the next two hours. Home? He had to stop thinking like that. It wasn’t their home, or their apartment. It was just a neutral ground. 

 

[…]

 

Barry periodically ran through the apartment on his patrol. He didn’t want to be there first, he didn’t want it to seem like he was waiting to ambush Leonard. Even though that was pretty much what was going to happen. There was no way he was going to let Snart go without several explanations. Barry had no idea what he was going to say, and no idea how Leonard would react and running around Central City wasn’t helping to organise his thoughts in the way it usually did.

Eventually he did find Snart there, at their apartment, nursing a glass of whiskey and sitting on the sofa where Sara had sat a day earlier. 

Leonard looked up at him, as Barry pulled back his mask, saying nothing, sitting back with his glass in hand. Barry knew Leonard was waiting for the fallout, accusations and recriminations, but suddenly he didn’t have the energy for any of that.

“How was your party?” he asked, taking the seat beside Leonard. Their knees were almost touching as he settled onto the small couch, but Barry firmly stuck to his own side. 

Leonard actually smirked, “Lisa says hi.”

“How much does she know?” 

“Enough to figure the rest out,” Leonard confirmed, finishing off his drink and leaving the glass on the table. He doesn’t reach for the bottle again, sighing heavily. “You want to talk Barry, talk.”

“They were betting on when you and Sara would hook up. Mick lost.” Barry didn’t know why he said that, why when there was so many more important things they should be discussing did he start there. He cringed at his own words. 

“Unsurprising,” Leonard drawled. “Mick is – very private, and he returns the favour. He’d lose a bet, just to throw them off the scent.”

“Does he know – about us?”

“Wasn’t hard to figure out. He saw you without your mask. He knows, but it hasn’t …come up in conversation yet.”

“Good to know Mick will hide your dirty little secrets in every timeline,” Barry said bitterly. He instantly regretted his words. It wasn’t fair. This wasn’t just Leonard’s secret. 

“I’m sorry. That was – You didn’t deserve that.”

“No, I didn’t. You’re allowed to be angry Barry about a lot of things, but I never wanted you to be my dirty secret. Don’t put that on me.” The icy tone was usually reserved for the Flash’s encounters with Captain Cold and it made Barry pause. 

He considered his next words carefully, still unwilling to argue with Leonard so soon after his return. Still when he does speak, Barry finds himself stuttering and tumbling over his words, almost unable to put his greatest fear into words. 

“You have so many secrets, and I know I’m not much better than you. But, – I can’t tell where this started anymore. I talked to Sara and, she – The things I’ve done, the things we’ve done together didn’t happen in that other timeline. We never happened.”

He hadn’t told Sara this. That felt too personal to bring up when speaking to a woman in love with the same man he was sleeping with. He told himself it would have crossed a line, but Barry was also aware that he didn’t want a definite answer. He didn’t want to know for sure but as much as he avoided the truth, it was obvious. Barry Allen and Leonard Snart were never meant to be.

“Well I think we can safely say that sounds like the darkest timeline, and I’m glad we’re not there.” Leonard said this calmly. Barry hated that voice. Because that’s the voice Leonard used when he was trying to manage him. The other man was just offering empty words to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

He was shaking his head, at the Leonard’s attempt to weasel his way out of a serious question when the other man asked earnestly, “You talked to her then? About, our agreement?”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I’m not,” Leonard interrupted, wrapping his hand around Barry’s arm, squeezing gently, as if to prove his point. He had twisted to face Barry but the speedster just stared down at where they met, Leonard’s hand on his arm. 

“And then about thirty seconds after I found out you were dead. Rip – He told everyone you were sleeping with Sara.” 

“Different timeline kid. It never happened.”

“I got that when Sara was saying goodbye, but before then, before you walked off that ship, I had no idea what to believe.” Leonard wrapped his other arm around Barry’s neck drawing them closer together. Barry just kept talking. He allowed himself to be moved, his head almost resting against Leonard’s shoulder, but he couldn’t reach for the other man, not yet. “So, I talked to her. It’s not like she can tell anyone. That Sara no longer exists, never existed,” he admitted.

Leonard sighed. “We agreed it would be best – “

“Yeah. I know what we agreed,” Barry snapped. 

“We don’t have to continue this Barry. You want out, just say the word. Our deal still stands.” 

“Our deal is bullshit,” Barry sneered, turning to face Leonard. Snart didn’t drop his hand, didn’t turn away. He stared back at Barry, their face so close, and Barry wished he could forget the list of accusations, but it’s all he’s been able to think about for days. 

“The deal where you and I work together to protect the future. A future where you handle the criminals in Central City and I handle the metahumans. A future where we’re both good guys, just working on opposite sides of the law.”

Leonard grew unnaturally still. For the first time, he actually seemed to hear Barry, understand how serious this was, and Barry couldn’t help the petty thrill of satisfaction at that knowledge. In the strained silence that followed, Snart opened his mouth to speak, before obviously thinking better of it, snapping his mouth closed again. His jaw tight. 

“Everything you ever told me was a lie,” Barry continued, pulling back and brushing away Snart’s hand. He took some deep breathes and tried to compose himself. 

“It was a nice lie though,” Leonard eventually said. “And now that I’m back, I’ll keep my end. No one will get hurt. I’ll keep the Rogues and the criminals in line.”

“So, you meant it?” Barry sputtered. “You’re staying? Giving up the mission? Giving up on your team?”

“I died for the mission and the only team that matters to me is here. In Central City. You think Rip Hunter was going to remember to tell Lisa I’d died? Do you think Mick would ever have come home again after letting me take that bullet? This is the best future I can hope for.”

“I can’t trust you after this. You used me, to build a criminal empire, Leonard.”

“You don’t have to trust me Barry. You don’t have to do anything, but right now, I’m fairly certain you don’t know what you want. You’re just howling at the moon, because you – I didn’t plan this. I was told I’d be important, and you were important. I never knew it was a lie. I wanted to believe it too.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Barry put his head in his hands. “So, it’s my fault then, for believing you? For going along with all this?”

“No. It’s Sara’s fault. I think in this case; a little foreknowledge would have caused less damage to the timeline.”

Barry deflated, all his anger slipping away. He had always been the type of person who figured out problems by bouncing ideas off someone else. He could always turn to Joe or Iris, and after the particle accelerator he’d found Cisco and Caitlin. There’d been a time when Leonard had been someone he could confide in, someone who knew his identity and knew what it was like to make the hard decisions. Except for Leonard, those decisions were never difficult. 

Now, he was the only person Barry could talk to about this mess. They continued to sit side by side, saying nothing. He made no move to touch Barry again, after he’d been pushed away. Leonard was right about one thing, Barry didn’t know what he wants out of this arrangement anymore. It had seemed simple before Leonard had gone travelling through time, but after the last week everything about their relationship seemed impossible to maintain.

“I’m glad you’re not dead,” Barry admitted, reaching out towards Leonard. His hand rests awkwardly on the man’s knee but Barry found his solid presence reassuring. He’s here. He’s safe, and for the first time Barry allowed himself to feel the relief. Leonard Snart wasn’t dead.

“Me too. Can we – not talk about this tonight?”

Leonard’s warm hand was on the back of Barry’s neck again, pulling him forward until their foreheads were almost touching. Barry bit his lip but nodded before he could rethink his decision. 

Leonard kissed him hesitantly at first and when Barry opened his mouth, he tasted cold scotch on the other man’s tongue. Barry pushed him back, Leonard’s hand never leaves the back of his head as Barry climbed into his lap. This was a terrible idea. Their kisses became more insistent then, Leonard’s free hand on Barry’s hip, his back. Always dragging him closer, grinding against him. 

Barry pulled back just long enough to open his suit, pulling the red leather off his shoulders. Leonard lounged on the couch, arms and legs spread wide enjoying the view. He preferred it when Barry took his time, didn’t use his speed, but it was only seconds before the speedster was back in his lap and Leonard was grinning. His kisses became bites as he moved down Barry’s neck. Barry finds himself already breathing fast as Leonard’s hands run down his chest, settling on his hips. 

When he pulled back, Leonard was grinning widely at him, eyebrows raised. “Bedroom?”

The man had barely finished the word before Barry had flashed them both to the room next door. 

 

[***]

 

Cisco groaned at the sound of his phone buzzing from his bedside table, determined to stay in bed unless the destruction of Central City was imminent. It wasn’t even bright out yet, so Cisco assumed it had to be another emergency, answering the phone with barely a glance at the screen. 

“It’s too early,” he groaned, by way of greeting.

“Cisco. Did you know?!” That wasn’t Caitlin. He pulled the phone away from his ear, to squint at the screen. 

“Lisa? It’s the middle of the night. Whatever’s going on, it can – ”

“Did you know that my brother’s metahuman boytoy is the Flash?”

“Huh.” Cisco was only half awake, but he blinked his eyes rapidly as he tried to process that information. Suddenly fully awake, common sense took over. “Lisa, that’s insane. Are you drunk?”

“They didn’t tell you either.” 

“There’s nothing to tell. There is no way. Barry and your brother can’t spend five minutes in the same room without fighting.”

“Exactly,” Lisa exclaimed. “I’m coming over.”

“No, no. Lisa, don’t do that,” but Cisco was already talking to himself. She had hung up and he was left in the darkness of his own room, confident that Lisa would find Star Labs empty and he’d get his much-needed sleep in. He was even more confident that she had gotten the wrong end of a very strange stick. Barry was not banging Leonard Snart. He snickered at the silliness of it all as he rolled over and fell back to sleep.

The next time Cisco awoke, it was to an insistent banging on the front door of his apartment. His eyes snapped open in horror, “How the fuck does she know where I live?”


	11. Morning After

Barry woke slowly, his eyes heavy and his limbs spread to all four corners of the bed. It was obvious that he was on his own, no one at his side. He looked around the room, unconsciously searching for Leonard before his conscious mind was fully awake. He turned to the bright sky outside and had a distressing, if familiar thought.

“Shit! I’m so late,” Barry exclaimed, jumping out of bed and flashing to the living room and into his suit. He was about to pull up his cowl when he heard Leonard’s slurred slow speech behind him. Barry returned to normal speed and found the other man standing in the small kitchenette, smirking over a mug of coffee.

“No, you’re not. You’re sick,” he said smugly. 

Barry frowned. “What did you do?”

“I sent an email, to your Captain, explaining that you wouldn’t be able to make it in today?”

Barry groaned, “Leonard, you can’t do things like that. It could be traced – and did you hack my email account? My departmental email?!”

Leonard laughed at Barry’s horror, picking up another mug, holding it out to him as he walked closer. “Relax Barry, I used your password.”

“How do you know my password?” Barry sputtered, his voice rising.

Leonard cocked one eyebrow, in an expression that was somehow both disappointed and amused. “I’m a thief, what’d you expect?”

Barry felt himself pulled away from the moment, the apartment, his conversation with Leonard. 

He was somewhere else and it hurt. His ribs ached and his head was spinning. The scene around him seemed indistinct. He could hear a voice speaking in the distance, but it was too dark to see, as he struggled to raise his head from the cold concrete. He was on the ground, holding his broken ribs in one hand, as Captain Cold leaned over him. 

Barry felt words rising from his mouth, unbidden. “You gave me your word.”

They’re familiar, the words. He had said them before. He had been here before. He knew this place, this time. The first and only time Leonard betrayed him. Ferris Air. Barry didn’t remember the thief been so gleeful in his victory.

“It’s true, I did but here’s the thing,” Snart sneered. “Who you’re really mad at is yourself. I’m a criminal and a liar, and I hurt people, and I rob them. What did you expect me to do? Not be what I am? I saw an opportunity to turn things to my advantage, and I did. 

“This is on you, Barry.”

And then Barry landed back in his body, in the present. Leonard stared at him with tense brows as Barry’s eyes darted nervously around the apartment, breathing fast. It had seemed so real, like an out of body experience, into a past he didn’t want to remember.

“Barry, you okay?”

He took a deep breath, but his head spun and his legs felt unsteady under him. Barry almost stumbled to the couch. He ignored Leonard’s words and sat slowly. His felt nauseous, his empty stomach rolling uncomfortably. It took Leonard’s angry words to bring him back fully.

“Hey, I asked you a question,” the other man growled, sitting on the coffee table directly in front of Barry. Their knees knocked awkwardly as Leonard leaned closer, his warm hands gently raising Barry’s head.

“I think I had a vision, of us, in the past. But it was all wrong, or different. I feel sick.” Leonard looked confused, his brows pinched, but Barry had to close his eyes. The room was too bright. 

Unsure if he pulled back or if Leonard let go, Barry found himself with his head in his hands. He breathed deeply, exhaled slowly, waiting for the nausea and the dull ache behind his eyes to pass. He was not sure how long he stayed like that; counting his breaths, trying not to vomit. 

Strong hand manoeuvred him until he was lying on the too small couch. When the hands move away he groaned, missing them. Something cold and wet, a cloth, was placed on his forehead and then Leonard’s hand took both of his, lowering them and squeezing gently.

“Don’t worry kid. The first one’s always the hardest, it’ll pass.”

It did pass. His accelerated healing probably helped. As soon as he dragged the now warm cloth from his face, and squinted open his eyes, Leonard was putting something in his hand. “Eat,” he commanded softly.

In his current state, Barry complied without question, and bit into one of Cisco’s horrendous protein bars, kept in the apartment for emergencies. This definitely qualified, but it still tasted horrible. When he tried to sit, Leonard supported him and handed him a glass of water as soon as he was able to support himself. Barry looked longingly at the mug of cooling coffee on the table top but drank the water without argument. 

“You know what this is?” 

“Unfortunately.” Barry hoped Leonard’s pause was not for dramatic effect, his patience with already spent. “You – We’re time travellers, you and me. Sometimes, when a person lingers in the time stream too long, they can see echoes of timelines that could have been. Rip said we might still experience them after the mission. Said if anything ever altered our timeline too much, we’d know.” 

“That – That happened, in the old timeline? You said those things?”

“Yes, but you don’t need to tell me what you saw Barry. We never talked about them on the Waverider. It’s seemed too personal.” Leonard was still sitting on the coffee table, his hands on Barry’s knees tightening as he spoke. 

“You blamed me for what happened at Ferris Air– ”

“Valid,” Leonard interrupted. 

“– because I trusted you, a thief, to keep your word. You didn’t care about the metahumans. You just wanted to play the villain, as usual.”

Barry couldn’t keep the bitter tone out of his voice, and he couldn’t blame his rapidly fading headache. Leonard on the other hand seemed completed unruffled by Barry’s vision. 

“That does sound like something I’d do.”

Barry shook his head. He didn’t know what he’d expected that other timeline to look like. A world where he put Captain Cold in jail and ended up with Iris. It sounded so surreal, but Leonard was right. It’d been familiar. Just a slightly twisted version of what he’d remembered. Barry stared at the empty glass in his hand, until Leonard gently took it from him, putting it aside. 

Leonard’s words in his vision had been cruel but they’d served a purpose. They’d clearly defined the rules, and placed Leonard in the role of the villain. He played it well, revelled in it, but Barry knew him well enough now to know that much of it was an act. A persona he put on like a mask, to keep himself safe. 

When he met Leonard’s eyes now, the man looked concerned. He’d never been cruel to Barry, not like that. Leonard had always trusted him, and that was Sara’s fault, wasn’t it? If it wasn’t for her message, would they have ever been able to trust one another?

“So, what do we do now?” Barry asked, his voice quiet. He was genuinely unsure how they could continue the way they’d been, before the Legends and their mission.

The other man leaned back. “You have questions. Ask them.”

He took a deep breath before he asked the only question he still needed an answer to. “What do you know about the metahuman black market?” Barry felt his stomach drop as Leonard went unnaturally still, and then he was shaking his head, smiling at the question.

“Hmmm, and how’d you hear about that?”

“You should just admit it?” Barry said, the bitterness creeping back into his voice again. “Killer Frost told us everything. We know that she worked for you and you oversaw the market. I just want to hear you say it.”

“She told you what you wanted to hear. Christ, Barry you are too trusting.” Leonard stood, taking the mugs and cloth with him as he moved towards the kitchen area. Barry didn’t try to follow him. He knew that’d just lead to this conversation becoming an argument. Leonard always reacted badly when he felt cornered.

“Then, how did it actually play out?” Barry called after him. “How are you connected to the black market?”

Leonard reappeared, chewing over his words and not looking at all happy.

“I work with lots of criminals in this city, including Killer Frost. She’s nothing like your Caitlin. She’d tell everyone in Central that Barry Allen is the Flash, if it served her purposes. She knows we’re connected...”

Barry cringed at the reminder. “There are pictures, of us. She said– What did she make you do?”

“Pictures? There aren’t any pictures Barry. She doesn’t care who I’m sleeping with and she can’t make me do anything. We worked together, on some mutually beneficial projects.”

Barry bit back his immediate response, running his hand over his face as Leonard spoke. He knew there were pictures, or at least one picture. He had seen it himself, strategically placed so that it was the first thing he saw when he opened her _present_. Barry didn’t think now what the right time to mention that one of Leonard’s associates was trying to blackmail the Flash. 

“Projects like the metahuman market?” he asked instead.

“Yes, I suppose so. The metahumans do their business because I allow it, and they don’t interfere with the ordinary decent criminals of Central City. Everyone gets along.”

“Except someone is murdering metas and Frost seems scared of whoever it is.” 

“Mmmm, I heard. Apparently, my absence has encouraged someone but whoever it is will pay. I’m not running the market but it’s… under my protection.” Barry’s eyed narrowed at that phrase. Captain Cold wasn’t the kind of hero who protected criminal metas out of the goodness of his heart. “And I take my responsibility to them very seriously.”

“We could work together to find this killer,” Barry offered. 

“No,” Leonard said firmly. “If the Flash is seen fixing all my problems, I’ll lose all my credibility in this town. It’s bad enough I was away for so long. I can’t let you do that.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t help you.”

“Yes, it does. The Flash puts metas in Iron Heights. These people don’t trust you, and they never will. You need to let me handle this.”

Barry sighed. “My team are going to be looking into the murders anyway.”

That made Leonard smile. Barry liked to think that this was the smile Captain Cold kept exclusively for him. It was equal parts sweet and mischievous, and usually preceded him asking Barry to break the law. “Of course you are and that puts us exactly where we’ve always been. Saving our city, just on opposite sides.”

“You really believed that, didn’t you? It was never a lie.”

Barry looked away from the hurt he saw on Leonard’s face. He heard the other man sigh though, heard him moving closer. Leonard sat beside him on the too small couch, a heavy arm over his shoulders pulled Barry close. He didn’t fight it, allowed himself to be moved and relax into Leonards shoulder.

“Of course not. It’s what I’ve wanted since, that night at Ferris Air. You were willing to save the people who’d tried to kill you, but you could never control them the way I can.”

“That’s not the way it happened in the old timeline.”

“Darkest timeline, kid. We’re better off here, together.” The corner of Barry’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t disagree. He nodded, leaning back to look at Leonard properly. 

“Okay we’ll do things your way, working separately, but… I need time to think.”

“Hmmm.”

“What does that mean?” Barry demanded.

Leonard huffed. “Whenever you need time to think, it usually means you overthink everything and come to the completely wrong conclusion.”

“I don’t –” An arched brow stopped Barry. “You said last night that I don’t know what I want, and you were right. I just need time to process all this, and if we want to keep this a secret then I need to go to work! It’s bad enough that Lisa suspects, we don’t want the Joe and half the CCPD looking into our sex life as well.”

“If we keep this a secret?”

“You know what I mean! I need to go to work. Now.”

“Okay, we’ll postpone. I won’t be accused of getting in the way of your career.” Barry rolled his eyes at the way Leonard practically purred in his ear. “But, before you go, I have something for you.”

“No. Seriously Leonard, I’m going to work.”

Leonard laughed as he strolled over to the kitchen counter, returning with a single page of paper. He held it out without a word. Barry starred uncertainly at the words as Leonard settled back into his seat, an arm slung carelessly over Barry’s shoulder. 

“This is…What is this?”

“My address. My real address. I figured since Mick knows and Lisa is going to figure things out, that you could come over. They’re the only other people who know about this place.”

“Right.” Barry cringed and tried again. “Thank you, this is – thanks.” Leonard snickered at his discomfort, and it only got worse when Barry stuffed the paper into his suit. 

“Keeping me close to your heart, Red.”

“You know it’d burn otherwise. Call me if you get something on the case.”

Leonard was still grinning when Barry gave him a quick kiss. He flashed out of the apartment before the man had time to make another joke.


	12. Flowers for Barry

Joe believed Barry’s excuse for been late, “The Legends came back last night,” with an eye roll and a shake of his head. 

The Captain seemed genuinely surprised to see him in the bull pen. His mouth slack through most of Barry’s rambling excuse about how he’s feeling much better. “Glad to hear it Allen. We’ve got a bit of a backlog. You should probably get on that.”

“Yes Captain. Happy to,” but Barry was already speaking to Captain Singh’s back as the man walked off. 

Most of Barry’s colleagues didn’t notice or care that their forensic scientist had turned up two hours late to work, assuming his excuses were just that. Sometimes Barry was prone to agree with Leonard. Central City’s Police Department weren’t very good at their jobs. Missing all the signs in front of them, in favour of the most obvious solution. Even in the face of metahumans and aliens, the police rarely questioned their own. 

Barry strolled into his lab, feeling well rested and more at ease than he had felt in the last week, maybe even in the last few months, and nobody noticed. He knew they viewed him as lazy, disorganised and a lab geek. They never suspected he could be the Flash, and the same blindness stopped the people closest to him from seeing his connection to Captain Cold. Barry was unobtrusive, unnoticeable and so thoroughly ordinary that he could walk into any building without a second glance. 

At least that’s what he thought. His investigations of the metahuman bars ended abruptly, when he realised some people knew better than to take him at face value. 

Cisco’s plan had been a good one. It should have worked. They were each metahumans; Barry, Cisco and Caitlin. So what better way to investigate the metahuman market than to go out for drinks, at a metahuman bar. Nobody knew their faces, what could go wrong.

They’d chosen the bar closest to the CCPD building, confident that they wouldn’t stand out on a Thursday night, as people went for after works drinks.  
The customers of Harrison’s bar didn’t look like they were hiding. The large glass windows allowed anyone on the street outside to look in at the groups of people standing at the bar. There were tables were scattered around the room, with people excitedly chatting and laughing with friends and work colleagues. The place seemed lively and relaxed. The din that drifted out to the street encouraging Barry after the stress of the previous weekend. It was definitely more up market than Leonard’s bar.

Barry grinned back at the others confident that this was going to be one of their more enjoyable undercover missions.

The grip of the doorman’s hand on his upper arm not only stopped Barry but pulled him back. The man had his other hand pointed first at Caitlin and then Cisco. “Hold up,” he said, squinted at the three of them, before calling for a manager over his radio.

They weren’t waiting long before Hartley Rathaway walked through the door, tablet in hand. When he looked up and saw Barry his stern face broke into a smile. 

“Well, hello Sam. How are you?” His brows drew together as he looked behind Barry to see his former Star Labs colleagues. 

Barry’s mouth hung open, unsure what to say and very aware that Caitlin and Cisco were watching him closely. “I’m not – I’m sorry. I think you, and your security, have confused us with someone else,” he eventually stuttered, sounding very different from the small-time criminal, Harte had met. 

Harte grinned. “You must have one of those faces.” He turned to his tablet, tapping through images that Barry leaned forward to get a closer look at, but Harte pulled it back to his chest. He rolled his head, smile turning predatory. “Says here that your name’s Barry Allen. And you’re barred.”

“How can we be barred, when we’ve never been here before?” Caitlin demanded.

“You’re not barred Dr. Snow, but your friends are. My humble establishment is part of a collective of local businesses. And your friends have been barred from all our establishments.”

“Would Dillon’s Bar and Grill be another business in this collective?” 

“Yes,” Harte confirmed, glaring at Cisco, obviously unhappy with the question.

“The End of the World?” Caitlin asked, naming another metahuman bar. Harte nodded. 

“What about Saints and Sinners?” Barry asked.

“No,” Hartley practically purred as he turned back to Barry. “Someone like you will always be welcome in a place like that.”

Cisco pushed forward, an angry finger stabbing Hartley’s chest as he reminded his former colleague that he didn’t want to be anywhere near someone like him. Their rivalry from their time at Star Labs always coloured their interactions. The man may have gone straight, in a manner of speaking, since his last run in with Team Flash, but that didn’t buy the meta any good will with Cisco. 

Hartley only laughed, waving off his security as Caitlin pulled Cisco back. 

“It’s okay,” Barry sighed. “We know you’re only doing your job.”

Hartley hummed in response. “Speaking of jobs. You available this week? I’ve got a date with a very advanced security system.”

“No,” Barry hissed angrily. He turned to watch Cisco and Caitlin, walking away. Were they far enough away? It’s didn’t look like they’d heard, Cisco’s voice was raised as Caitlin continued to pull him forward. “How about you forget you ever saw me, and I won’t tell anyone what happened to your Daddy’s art collection?”

Hartley’s laugh followed Barry as he went to catch up with the others. They spent the night at a cocktail bar nearby, Cisco complaining loudly and demanding to know who would trust Hartley Rathaway to run a business. 

Caitlin had awoken to an angry message scrawled on her mirror in lipstick the next morning. “STAY AWAY.” They’d met at Star Labs the next evening to discuss their next move, but there didn’t seem to be a solution. 

Killer Frost was unavailable, unwilling to speak with Caitlin and not responding to her usual triggers. She obviously didn’t appreciate Team Flash’s investigations and was willing to help. Barry suspected Killer Frost had a plan of her own, and from the contents of the package Caitlin had given him, he was in no doubt that he would play a role in it.

He needed another option. He needed to find this metahuman killer before Frost called on him. He didn’t want another secret from his friends. More blackmail material for people like Frost to use against him. But the chances of Team Flash or the CCPD finding the metakiller on their own were dwindling. 

The taskforce tentatively looking into the possibility of a serial killer targeting metahumans had hit a wall, with no forensic evidence, no witnesses and no new victims. The manner in which the victims had dies was even more troubling. The method always differed, from blunt force trauma to one victim that appeared to have suffocated, with no bruising or water in his lungs to imply a method of suffocation. 

No one said it out loud, but the fear was a group of metas were killing other metas. And it looked like one of them had the power to pull the air from a persons lungs. Joe and Eddie’s metahuman taskforce didn't even suspect there was a black market in Central City, so there were no new leads there. They also hadn't been let in on all the details of the serial killings. Not that they had any leads on metahuman who could suffocate a person with their powers anyway. Barry knew he was running out of options. It looked unlikely that the CCPD or Star Labs could solve this one on their own. 

Star Labs team meeting finished earlier than expected, with no idea how to move forward, but Cisco was quick to approach Barry before he could speed off on his rounds. 

“Hartley, last night. That was unexpected, right?”

“Yeah. I suppose it’s not that surprising that he got involved with the metahuman black market, but he hasn’t been on the CCPD’s radar in months. Killer Frost didn’t mention him?”

“Well Killer Frost is more likely to insult us than provide information, so nothing newsworthy in that. But, Harte seemed to recognise you. That was strange right? He called you Sam.”

“Yeah, I have no idea what that’s about,” Barry answered, rubbing his neck.

“He was a suspect in the metahuman break out at Iron Heights, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Barry gritted out. He remembered that case well. 

He remembered how angry he’d been at Leonard running away on his mission. He realised now that Leonard would have followed Sara Lance anywhere, convinced his future was with her, and not with Barry. Or rather, he had thought his future with Barry was contingent on following Sara. Is that it? Barry should really ask him. 

They had fought for days over Rip Hunter’s offer. Barry had been convinced that Leonard’s absence would destabilise the city, threaten the peace they’d fought for. Who would keep the criminal following a code if he wasn’t around? 

He never talked about his own feelings, his own reasons for asking Leonard to stay. Their relationship had been built on the fact that they had a shared mission of their own. They’d never found a way to talk about their relationship without falling back into that old pattern. Barry hadn’t wanted Leonard to leave, but he’d never been able to explain that to the other man. 

So, Leonard had assuaged his fear the only way Captain Cold could. He’d secured the power of the Rogues in Central City, by expanding his ranks. 

Leonard wasn’t the kind of man who bought flowers or presents. His big romantic gestures often involved breaking several laws. In the few hours they had before Leonard left on his mission, he’d promised Barry that he was coming back. The Rogues would tear themselves and the city apart if he didn’t. 

That wouldn’t even be a possibility if metas like Mirror Master and Top were still in prison. He had broken them out to ensure his Rogues dominance in the criminal underworld, but the same act would also lead to disaster if Captain Cold was absent for too long. Strange how that had comforted Barry then. He’d understood what Leonard had done, even if the other man would never say it aloud.

“We didn’t get the call until it was over. Peek-a-Boo got everyone out before the alarm was raised.”

“Yeah, cause someone looped the security feed. And it was probably the same someone that disabled all the traffic cameras in a five-mile radius,” Cisco pointed out bitterly. 

“Hartley had an alibi,” Barry reminded him.

Cisco hummed but Barry didn’t miss the way he watched him closely in the days after their conversation. Barry couldn’t fault the man for been suspicious, when he’d given his friends so many reasons to suspect him.

The familiar pattern of work and Flash duties that had become his whole life since Leonard left on his mission, was broken the next day. 

Before the Legends, Barry had unsigned messages at their safehouse to lift his mood. Clandestine meetings that while they never ended with candle lit dinners, had seemed exciting and illicit at the time. Captain Cold and the Flash had had a relationship that none of their friends or colleagues would have understood or accepted. The time between their meetings could have been hours or days or weeks, but there was always a way one of them could contact the other. 

Barry had felt more adrift and alone this week than at any time during Leonard’s absence. He couldn’t go back to the apartment. Couldn’t call Saints or any of the other safehouses now that Lisa suspected. He shuddered to think what she’d say to her silent caller now. The Flash needed Captain Cold to solve this case, but more than that Barry needed to talk to Leonard. The man had been right, he was overthinking everything. Worried it had all been a lie, and their twisted relationship was over. 

There had been a part of him that had wanted that. It had been a knee jerk reaction to all of Saras’ revelations. He knew that. So, Leonard had been keeping secrets from him all along. Cold had told him as much, told him he didn’t want to know, and Barry hadn’t pushed. He’d assumed the other man was talking about his criminal capers. He’d been wrong about that. 

Barry had assumed so much about Leonard, about their relationship. If he’d been wrong about the secrets Leonard kept from him, what else? He’d assumed that the man cared for him, loved him even and the possibility that he’d been wrong about that too kept him away now. Barry needed to talk to Leonard about the metahuman market, but he couldn’t just turn up at the other man’s house and assume he’d be welcome. 

He stayed away. He went to work every day, went to Star Labs every evening. He nodded at the Legends when they came to talk about the timeline changes, Caitlin had mapped. He never asked them questions, and no one commented on Leonard and Mick’s absence. All the time, he was looking for a message, waiting for Leonard to contact him. 

After their last meeting, he suspected it wouldn’t come. Leonard gave Barry his space, unaware of the other man’s spiralling thoughts. Or maybe Leonard stayed away because Barry was no longer useful to him. The timeline secure now, and Captain Cold’s survival guaranteed.

He should have been relieved when Cold contacted him. Instead a cold dread settled in his stomach when he saw the flowers on his desk in CCPD headquarters. The arrangement was not small, consisting of while roses, lilies and other flowers he couldn’t name, interspersed with green leaves. The card simply read ‘Dinner at 7?’ 

Barry swallowed, looking over his shoulder. How many people had watched as this bouquet was delivered? Had Joe seen the delivery man walking up the stairs to his lab? This message was more than a risk, it was a gauntlet thrown down in challenge. Captain Cold was done waiting, and demanding Barry’s attention. 

He’d crumpled the card and hid it in the bottom of his satchel. Barry spent the rest of the day awkwardly telling his colleagues that there must have been a mistake. Joe laughed, but Eddie smiled softly, winking at him as he walked away. Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***
> 
> Apologies for the long wait. Since Sept, I've moved house, got a new full-time job and started a new volunteering role, and my college course is up and running again. _sigh_
> 
> I do like to overextend myself, but I think I'm going to keep coming back to this. I may even finish it, but updates with be sporadic at best, and at worst, they'll only appear during school breaks.


	13. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for discussion of possibly triggering content can be found at the end of chapter

Barry had an irrational fear that one day, someone would come across the Flash changing into his civilian clothes. And that would be it. Secret identify gone. All because a sudden noise, or an unexpected shout, would cause him to suddenly drop out of the speed force. In the beginning, it had been a real fear. Even now, with more control over his speed, he worried how he looked, fixing his belt as he walked out from behind a convenient bush.

It would only take one concerned citizen calling the police, and Barry would have to explain why he’d needed to suddenly change his clothes in public. 

_‘Well I’m sorry Officer, but I couldn’t really turn up at Captain Cold’s house in my Flash suit.’_

The manic thought distracted Barry from his very real nerves as he walked toward the house. It wasn’t what he’d expected. Non-descript in a very suburban, middle class kind of way. Someone may have been able to guess the owner was a bachelor from the motorbike parked in the drive, but they’d have been forgiven for suspecting mechanic instead of criminal mastermind. 

This place didn’t look like Leonard’s usual haunts. The weather was still too cold, but Barry could imagine children playing in the street during the summer. It was the kind of place where people talked about the crazy stuff that happened in Central City, happy that they were just far enough away to ensure that something like that would never happen in their neighbourhood. 

Joe had a neighbour like that. Talked like all the metahuman nonsense was a hundred miles away. Poor lady had no idea she’d been living next door to the Flash for the better part of two years. Barry idly wondered how Leonard’s neighbours were able to delude themselves, looking around after he’d raised his hand to knock on the door. They had to know. Leonard’s face had been all over the news. More than once. 

Barry smiled easily as the other man opened the door, but Leonards brows were drawn together. Already angry. Not a good sign for how their evening was going to go. 

“Hey, I would have brought wine, but it doesn’t taste quite right after I’ve taken it for a run. Or so I’ve been told,” Barry said. He was still standing awkwardly on the doorstep. 

“Okay,” Leonard said after a pause. He motioned Barry inside, and Barry noticed Leonard looking up and down the street before his closed the door. And locked it. 

Leonard called it been cautious, but Barry always thought the man could be paranoid if left unchecked. He followed the smell of cooking food to the kitchen, nosily inspecting the simmering food. He didn’t comment on the blueprints and documents that Leonard quickly moved towards on the dining table. A laptop closed sharply, while Barry had his back to the room, lifting pot lids to see what was for dinner. When Barry turned back to the room, the table was empty, except for the cold gun. Leonard was stuffing the blueprints back into their carrier case, lips pursed. 

“Listen, I’m sorry if I’m early, but – ”

“Early?” Leonard asked. 

“Yeah.” Barry looked at the clock. Almost five past seven. “Well, early for me. I didn’t mean to walk in on you when you’re working. And with my time keeping, you probably weren’t expecting me til seven thirty”

“Barry, I wasn’t expecting you at all.”

Barry frowned, and then cringed at his mistake. “I got a note. At Work. All it said was dinner at 7. I’m sorry, I assumed it was from you, cause who else sends me cryptic notes without signing them. The flowers were a surprise though.”

“Flowers?” Leonard almost groaned the word out. 

“Yeah…” 

Leonard was shaking his head. “I’m the one who should be sorry. This is my fault.”

“How?” 

“It’s a set up. And this set up only works if the person setting you up knows exactly where you’re going to go. Because you’re not exactly easy to follow, Scarlet.”

“I don’t understand. Someone sent me an invitation to dinner because they knew I’d come to your house. Oh – ” Barry’s mouth fell open at the realisation. There was only one person who suspected them, who also presumably knew where Captain Cold lived. _Lisa_

Leonard sighed as he moved closer, leaning against the counter beside Barry. 

“Listen, however you ended up here, I’m still glad you’re here. I can handle Lisa.”

Barry opened his mouth to respond, before closing it again. He didn’t want to point out all the ways this could go wrong for them. Something in Leonard’s expression hinted at the other man already knowing how fucked they both were. “You stir the sauce. I’m going to have to cancel on my actual dinner guest.” 

Leonard left the room, with his phone in hand, and Barry was struck with the realisation that he could run. He wanted to run. He wanted to know who Leonard was cooking dinner for, but he pushed his irrational jealously aside to focus on the more pressing problem. The thoughts of sitting down to dinner with Captain Cold and Golden Glider made his stomach drop. Leonard would understand. Their agreement, their relationship, whatever it was they had, would survive that. 

Barry sighed. Lisa knew and there was no running for that. Leonard had said he could handle it. Barry doubted him, but it was his house, his sister and his life. If Leonard wanted to face this head on, Barry had to stay. He couldn’t leave Leonard to face that on his own. 

Dinner was ready, and the stove turned off when Barry heard a key in the front door. 

Her eyes lit up when she saw him. “Mmmm you’re still here. Brave. I appreciate that. “

“Hi Lisa, your brother’s just gone to cancel on his dinner date.” Barry managed to say it without an inch of bitterness. Maybe that would be enough to throw her off their scent. 

Lisa leant against the counter opposite, smirking at him like he was a prize she’d won. 

“He’ll thank me for the inconvenience.”

“Hello Lisa. Mick not joining us?” Leonard asked as he returned to the kitchen.

He appeared relaxed as he took down three glasses from the cabinet. He picked up the wine already airing on the counter, that Barry had been steadily ignoring. He wouldn’t ask, not in front of Lisa, but Barry doubted Leonard would have wine out if Heatwave was coming for dinner. 

“He’s staking out that fleebag apartment of yours,” Lisa explained. 

Leonard stopped mid pour to raise a disappointed eyebrow at Lisa. “Really? You thought I’d go back there. That place is burned.”

“Covering all my bases, big brother,” she practically purred as she took the offered glass.

“The other safehouses,” he said, picking up another glass. It was a question phrased like a statement. 

“A rogue in each one just to be sure.”

Leonard hummed, “and what did you tell them?”

“That I was going to try and flush out your mystery caller, and look, I did.”

Leonard smirked, and Barry noticed the pride in the other man’s eyes. Barry accepted his glass of water without comment. He’d never felt more like a third wheel, and his need to babble had even failed him. He was intruding on Leonard’s life in a way they’d never planned. 

Still he moved to the table with Lisa when they’re both shooed out of the kitchen. Made small talk about Heatwave and Hartley and the other Rogues he wasn’t supposed to have met. He started to enjoy the way Lisa’s eyebrows crept closer to her hairline with every innocuous question.

“I went by Hartley’s bar last week,” Barry had said without mentioning he’d been turned away. “He seems to be doing well.” 

“How’s Mick settling back into this century?” Lisa has almost choked on her wine when he’d followed that up with. “I was surprised to hear you reopened his bar tab.”

Leonard had been moving silently around them setting the table, and smirking to himself. Barry noticed the tension in his shoulders appeared to ease with every subtle hint. He might not be a Rogue or a criminal, but he’d become a part of the other man’s life in ways Lisa was only beginning to understand. And he was starting to enjoy himself.

That feeling didn’t last long. 

“Sara was already halfway from Star City, and now she’s suspicious as hell. We’re meeting her later for drinks.” Leonard spoke to the room as a whole, with a familiarity that belied the tension.

What he’d imagined a quiet night in for himself and Leonard, was rapidly descending into something he was less than comfortable with. Dinner with Lisa was one thing, but a night out with the Legends, and probably a few Rogues? Something must have showed on his face. 

“That okay with you?”

“Yeah,” Barry shrugged. “Sounds like fun.”

“Oh don’t be so downer Barry. Can’t keep Lenny all to himself not that he’s back. And it’s beyond time you met the Rogues – well I suppose you think you know most of us already,” she realises thoughtfully. “But I promise we’re much friendlier when you’re not beating us up and trying to put us in jail.”

Lisa’s predatory smiled contradicted her promise of friendship. 

“I’ve met most of them already,” Barry admitted. “They think my name is Sam.”

Barry actually smirked as Lisa’s smile fell from her face. She knew that name, obviously. Maybe Leonard had mentioned his tech support in passing, or another Rogue had brought up Sam, but she’d never made the connection. It was nice to know they could still keep some secrets. Leonard actually seemed pleased that he’d been able to dent Lisa’s confidence, or else he just appreciated the momentary silence as he served their food

Dinner was tense. Leonard sat beside Barry, reaching for his wine every time Lisa landed a blow, which was a bit too often for Barry’s comfort. Too soon his wine glass was empty, dinner finished and Leonard had resorted to nervously tapping his fingers on the table top. 

Barry wanted to hold Snart’s hand still. The man was setting him on edge. He settled for pressing his knee against the other mans. Touching him where there was no possibility of Lisa been able to see them. 

His eyes turned to Barry, but he couldn’t read the emotion there. Whatever meaning he was trying to communicate was lost in that trademark Captain Cold scowl. 

“So, are we going to address the Flash in the room, Lise?” Leonard eventually asked. “Or do you plan to chit chat all night? We have places to be.”

Lisa carefully put down her glass, examining both of them closely.

“He’s your mystery caller.” A statement, not a question. Barry remained silent as Leonard nodded. “What else is he?” Lisa asked. 

Leonard’s brow furrowed and he shifted uncomfortably. Barry had been expecting this line of questioning and he thought Leonard would have seen it coming too. 

“Gullible,” Leonard eventually suggested. “After all, he fell four your obvious ruse.”

Lisa shook her head. She was still smiling but it was mean. She already knew the secret Leonard had kept from her, and Barry was waiting for the accusation, can see it in her eyes. 

“And how many times has he hit you Lenny?”

That – was not what Barry expected. He opened his mouth to defend himself, to tell her she’d got it wrong and didn’t understand. But he can’t. Barry didn’t know how many times he’s punched Captain Cold. How many times has he had to wipe the other man’s blood off his gloves? 

He snapped his mouth closed and swallowed down all of his excuses. He kept his eyes firmly on his plate, unwilling to look for confirmation in Leonard’s face. 

“Probably bout the same number of times I’ve left him frozen in a block of ice,” Leonard responded coldly. 

“And that makes it okay? Jeez, this is sick. You know that right. What you two have been doing, it goes beyond the lies and… it’s just sick. Your day jobs involve you beating each other up. You have almost killed each other. You can not kiss that shit better, call it romance and think it’s okay.” 

“We have an agreement – “ Barry began stupidly.

“That doesn’t make this okay,” Lisa interrupted.

“Yes it does. When you wanted in on my heists, Lisa, I told you, there are no guarantees of safety in this line of work. We expect to get hurt, and it’s a good night when someone doesn’t end up dead or in jail. How many times have I been in Iron Heights, since the Flash showed up? Not once.”

“That’s only because I broke you out of that transport Lenny.”

“That was before our deal,” Barry added unhelpfully, trailing off at the end, as he got glares from both Snart siblings. Barry sighed and eventually they turned back to each other. 

“There were other times, sis. Times I should have ended up in jail. Times I would have been happy to see out my days in Iron Heights, because it would have been worth it. Except I didn’t have to. The Flash has gotten me out of more tight spots than you know about.”

Lisa snorted, obviously unimpressed. 

“And that’s only possible, because no one in Central City would ever suspect him of working with us. We don’t hurt each other, not really,” Leonard continued awkwardly. “Not more than we have to anyway.”

Leonard’s small voice made Barry’s stomach clench with guilt. He wanted to say sorry, wanted to talk about Leonard’s feelings and Lisa’s fears, but he knew this wasn’t the time. He bit his tongue, and looked up to find Lisa glaring at him over the table. 

Barry knew his guilt must be written all over his face. To hear someone else, describe what they did to each other, like that. 

He looked away, but not before Lisa saw what she’d been looking for. 

She huffed. “It’s your life Lenny, but from the outside, it doesn’t look like this arrangement is doing either of you any good.”

“You’re wrong,” Leonard replied, with a confidence Barry wasn’t feeling.

Barry was still looking away, when Lisa went back to the kitchen for a refill. Barry didn’t know what to say after that. 

Leonard’s hand was warm on the back of his neck dragging him close, speaking quietly.

“I know you’re not sure if you want this to continue Scarlet.”

Barry didn’t argue with that; didn’t try to convince Leonard he was mistaken. He leaned into the other man’s touch and sighed. Leonard continued, his voice only a whisper. 

“But you have to know, whatever we have. It isn’t that. It was never like that. You know that right?”

Barry nodded. He really hoped Leonard was telling him the truth this time. When Lisa returned, she found Barry kissing her brother gently, chastely. He wasn’t sure who had initiated the contact, knew they both needed it, but it was Barry who pulled back when he saw Lisa watching them from the doorway. 

Cleaning up was awkward. Leonard and Lisa talking in terse statements, both too angry to admit they may have made a mistake. Barry was too quiet, he knew it, but couldn’t bring himself to respond with more than one word answers. 

When Leonard asked if he was still up for drinks, Barry said yes, and he was not sure why. The small smile it brought to Leonard’s face seemed worth it. 

At Saint and Sinners, Leonard had his game face on. Lisa too. But Barry initially felt out of place. The handful of Rogues that were sitting with Sara Lance were interested to know if Lisa had found Leonard’s mystery caller.

She’d turned to her brother eyebrow raised in challenge and Leonard had smiled at the assembled crowd. “No such luck. She found… someone else. You all know Sam right?”

There was a lot of meaning in that one pause, that said more than Barry was expecting. The Rogues caught on quick enough. Hartley laughed quickly, as Mick clapped him on the back with a gruff, “Bout time.” It took Sara and Shawna a second longer to catch onto what Leonard was implying, but they were soon smiling too and welcoming him. 

Even though most of the people present knew Sam was in fact CCPD forensic scientist Barry Allen, no one corrected Leonard. They kept his secret. Their secret, Barry supposed. 

Even Lisa seemed in a better mood. Gleefully encouraging the Rogues to ask questions about their newly discovered relationship. Questions that left Barry stumbling over his words, while Leonard and Lisa sniggered in the corner. 

“Sam huh? How many secret identities do you have?” Sara had asked quietly when they had a moment alone at the bar. Barry scratched the back of his neck and smiled. 

“Suppose I shouldn’t be complaining. You just won me a lot of money,” she’d added in a conspiratorial whisper. “I only bet that Leonard was fucking you, cause I thought it’d piss him off. His face did go a very pretty colour.”

“So, the Legends are dicks in every timeline,” Barry said once he’d recovered. 

He accepted the drink Sara offered, and realised he was actually enjoying himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***  
> Minor warning for accusation and discussion of abuse/domestic violence
> 
> I know it is something that doesn't come up a lot, but it's always been something that niggled at the back of my mind when it came to Coldflash. You can interpret it anyway you like. And hopefully these two will have an actual conversation without been interrupted at some point in this fic. Cause they gotta lot to talk about.


End file.
